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25. 

REPORT 


OF  THE 

DEPUTATION  TO  TIIE  INDIA  MISSIONS, 


MADE  TO  THE 

‘AMERICAN  BOARD  OF  COMMISSIONERS 


roa 

FOREIGN  MISSIONS, 


• SPECIAL  MEETING,  HELD  IN  ALBANY,  N.  Y., 


MARCH  4,  185G. 


PRINTED  FOR  THE  USE  OF  THE  BOARD. 


BOSTON: 

PRESS  OF  T.  R.  MARVIN,  42  CONGRESS  STREET. 
1 8 5 6. 


f 


REPORT  OF  THE  DEPUTATION  TO  THE  BOARD. 


Fathers  and  Brethren  : 

On  the  26th  of  January  of  the  present  year,  we  addressed 
the  following  note  to  the  Prudential  Committee. 

“ Dear  Brethren , — In  the  ordinary  course  of  business,  the 
Report  of  the  Deputation  concerning  their  visit  to  India  should 
pass  through  you  to  the  Board.  In  view  of  the  circumstances 
of  the  case,  we  are  desirous,  if  agreeable  to  you,  of  reporting 
directly  to  the  Board  at  its  Special  Meeting.  Our  Fathers 
and  Brethren  in  that  meeting  will  be  no  less  desirous  than 
yourselves  of  doing  what  shall  most  advance  the  cause  of  our 
blessed  Lord. 

Respectfully  and  very  truly  yours, 

R.  Anderson,  ) ... 

. m ’ Deputation. 

A.  C.  1 hompson,  5 1 

After  the  reading  of  this  communication,  the  Prudential 
Committee  resolved,  — “ That  the  course  proposed  by  the 
Deputation,  in  regard  to  their  Report,  is  approved  by  the 
Committee.” 

We  have  rejoiced  in  the  prospect  of  this  meeting  since  we 
first  heard  of  it,  believing  that  there  would  be  subjects  em- 
braced in  our  Report,  which  deserve  all  the  prayerful  consid- 
eration which  the  Board  will  be  able  to  give  them.  We  shall 
have  much  pleasure  in  spreading  the  facts  before  the  assembled 
members;  and  may  the  Holy  Spirit  vouchsafe  his  gracious 
presence  in  this  meeting,  as  he  has  manifestly  done  in  the 
meetings  of  the  missions  in  India  and  Western  Asia  ! 

We  would  thankfully  acknowledge  the  good  hand  of  our 
God  upon  us,  through  all  our  long  tour  of  not  less  than  thirty 
thousand  miles,  of  which  between  four  and  five  thousand  were 
on  the  land.  Over  how  many  oceans  have  we  sailed  ; in  what 
various  climes  ; among  what  different  peoples  and  languages; 


4 


amid  what  diverse  customs  and  manners  ; through  what 
religious  shades,  from  the  brightest  effulgence  of  the  gospel  to 
the  deepest  gloom  of  paganism  ; and  through  labors  unprece- 
dented in  our  experience,  with  mind,  heart  and  every  power 
taxed  to  the  utmost  ! Yet  we  have  not  experienced  so  much 
as  one  untoward  event,  and  we  stand  before  you,  this  day, 
with  unimpaired  health.  This  remarkable  preservation  of 
health,  considering  that  one  of  us  was  on  the  verge  of  three- 
score years,  we  attribute  under  God’s  blessing,  to  the  fact  that 
our  personal  intercourse  with  our  brethren  in  the  missions  was 
eminently  a source  of  enjoyment  to  us  ; confiding,  free,  with- 
out controversies,  with  few  wearing  anxieties,  in  short  a 
succession  of  most  remarkable  Christian  fellowships,  which  we 
shall  love  ever  to  remember.  In  every  case  we  left  them  with 
an  increase  of  love  and  confidence  towards  them,  and  on  their 
part,  we  had  no  reason  to  doubt,  towards  ourselves. 


I. 

SENDING  OF  THE  DEPUTATION. 

It  is  more  than  twelve  years  since  the  importance  of  visiting 
the  India  missions  was  urged  upon  the  attention  of  the 
Secretary  having  charge  of  the  correspondence  beyond  sea,  by 
brethren  in  those  missions.  Writing  to  the  Madura  mission, 
early  in  the  year  1852,  he  said, — “We  enter  into  your  feelings, 
and  heartily  wish  such  a thing  were  within  the  range  of  possi- 
bility. In  coming  times  it  may  be,  but  not  now.”  Those 
times  came  at  last.  In  the  early  part  of  the  year  1854,  letters 
were  received  from  the  Bombay  mission,  earnestly  requesting 
permission  to  institute  a High  School  on  the  model  of  certain 
Scotch  and  English  schools  existing  in  the  large  cities  of  India. 
The  proposal  was  seconded  by  the  brethren  of  the  Ahmednug- 
gur  mission.  The  cost  of  the  necessary  buildings  and  appara- 
tus was  estimated  at  about  $25,000  ; and  the  annual  expenses 
of  the  school,  including  the  salaries  of  two  missionary  teachers, 
would  not  fall  short  of  $3,500.  A distinguishing  feature  in 
that  class  of  schools  is,  that  the  English  language  is  not  only 
taught  largely  in  them,  but  is  made  the  chief  medium  of 
instruction.  The  school  was  urged  upon  the  Committee  as  a 
matter  of  necessity,  to  save  the  Bombay  mission  from  extinc- 
tion, owing  to  the  attractive  and  absorbing  influence  of  the 
schools  established  by  other  Societies. 

The  reasoning  seemed  to  the  Prudential  Committee  to  indi- 
cate the  existence  of  a state  of  things  in  the  Bombay  Presidency, 


5 


which  might  ere  long  render  it  impracticable  for  the  Board  to 
prosecute  its  missions  in  that  part  of  India.  They  did  not 
know  what  to  do  ; nor  did  it  seem  possible  to  solve  the  problem 
except  on  the  ground.  The  Secretary  in  charge  of  the  India 
correspondence  was  then  entering  his  fifty-eighth  year,  and  had 
a strong  aversion  to  foreign  travel.  He  felt  constrained,  how- 
ever, by  the  interests  that  were  pending,  to  offer  to  visit  the 
India  missions,  with  the  expectation  of  being  absent  a year, — 
provided  the  Committee,  in  consideration  of  the  responsibilities, 
would  send  one  of  their  own  number  with  him.  The  Pru- 
dential Committee  accepted  the  offer,  and  requested  Mr. 
Thompson  to  accompany  the  Secretary.  Mr.  Thompson’s 
people  generously  gave  him  leave  of  absence  for  a year.  The 
Instructions  given  were  as  follows  : 

Instructions. 

■ “ The  powers  of  the  Deputation  are  expressed  in  the  follow- 
ing Resolution,  adopted  by  the  Prudential  Committee  at  a 
meeting  held  April  25,  1854,  namely: 

Resolved,  That  the  Rev.  Rufus  Anderson,  D.  D.,  Senior 
Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Board,  and  the  Rev.  Augustus  C. 
Thompson,  one  of  the  members  of  the  Prudential  Committee, 
be,  and  they  hereby  are,  appointed  Agents  and  Representatives 
of  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions, 
to  visit  their  missions  in  India,  with  full  power  and  authority  to 
give  such  directions  to  the  several  missions,  which  shall  be 
visited  by  them,  as  they  shall  judge  that  the  best  interests  of 
the  missions  demand,  in  all  cases  in  which  it  shall  be  their 
united  judgment  that  the  exigency  is  such  as  will  not  justify 
delay  for  the  action  of  the  Prudential  Committee  ; — provided, 
however,  that  the  action  of  the  said  agents  and  representatives 
shall  in  all  things  be  subject  to  the  revisio^of  the  Prudential 
Committee  ; and  that  they  shall  not  be  at  liberty  to  make 
appropriations  of  money  other  than  those  made  by  the  Pruden- 
tial Committee. 

1.  By  means  of  this  Deputation  the  Prudential  Committee 
seeks  to  do  that  for  the  several  India  missions,  which  cannot  be 
accomplished  effectually  by  mere  correspondence.  The  grand 
object  is  not  the  survey  of  the  country,  nor  of  its  people  and 
their  pagan  manners  and  institutions,  but  to  confer  with  the 
missionaries  residing  on  the  ground,  individually,  and  in  their 
collective  capacity  as  missions. 

In  each  of  the  missions  of  the  Board,  after  such  visits  to 
the  several  stations  as  time  shall  permit,  the  Deputation  will 

request  the  members  of  the  mission  they  are  visiting  to  assemble 
* 


6 


for  free  conference  and  discussion  on  such  subjects  as  the 
Deputation  or  the  mission  itself  shall  desire  to  receive  particu- 
lar attention  ; and  the  Deputation  are  authorized  to  make  such 
provision  as  they  deem  proper  for  defraying  the  expenses  of 
the  meeting.  Some  convenient  way  will  of  course  be  devised 
for  embodying  the  proceedings  of  these  meetings,  so  as  to 
make  them  most  available  for  the  use  of  the  Prudential  Com- 
mittee ; and  the  Deputation,  in  transmitting  those  proceedings 
to  the  Missionary  House,  will  be  expected  also  to  signify  how 
far  their  views  coincide  with  those  of  their  brethren. 

2.  It  is  made  the  duty  of  the  Deputation  every  where  to  see 
now  far  the  oral  preaching  of  the  gospel  is  actually  the  leading 
object  and  work  of  the  missions ; and  to  exert  themselves, 
fraternally,  to  encourage  the  determination  of  every  brother  and 
sister  to  “ know  nothing  ” among  the  heathen  “ but  Jesus 
Christ  and  him  crucified.” 

3.  It  is  a leading  object  with  the  Committee,  in  sending  this 
representation,  to  ascertain  for  their  own  guidance  more  clearly, 
than  they  have  been  able  hitherto  to  do  by  correspondence  and 
by  conference  with  missionaries  on  their  visits  home,  to  what 
extent  in  India  the  missions  of  the  Board  are  prepared  to  rely 
on  the  oral  preaching  of  the  gospel,  and  to  dispense  with  the 
pioneering  and  preparatory  influence  of  schools,  and  espe- 
cially of  schools  in  which  the  use  of  the  English  language  is  a 
prominent  and  characteristic  feature. 

4.  As  the  Mahratta  missions  will  be  the  earliest  visited,  the 
most  perplexing  and  difficult  of  all  the  questions  that  will  re- 
quire their  attention,  and  which  was  one  of  the  special  reasons 
for  their  appointment,  will  be  among  the  first  that  call  for  set- 
tlement, namely:  “How  far  the -institution  by  Scotch  and 
English  Societies,  of  large  and  expensive  schools  in  the  great 
cities,  resembling  those  of  the  East  India  Government  in  every 
thing  but  the  exclusion  of  Christianity,  is  a reason  why  the 
Board  should  institute  similar  schools  in  Bombay  and  Madras.” 
An  early  settlement  of  this  question  is  much  desired  by  the 
brethren  of  the  Mahratta  missions  and  by  the  Committee,  but 
it  is  not  made  incumbent  on  the  Deputation  to  give  an  opinion 
before  visiting  the  Madura  and  Ceylon  missions,  should  they 
need  the  additional  information  to  be  obtained  in  those  quarters. 

At  present,  it  is  the  strong  persuasion  of  the  Prudential  Com- 
mittee, that  no  school  can  properly  be  sustained  by  the  funds 
of  the  Board,  in  which  the  vernacular  language  is  not  the  grand 
medium  of  instruction  ; and  the  Deputation  will  not  feel  at 
liberty  to  do  any  thing  contrary  to  this  persuasion,  without  what 
shall  seem  to  them  very  conclusive  reasons. 

5.  It  is  time  to  inquire  more  earnestly  as  to  the  place  which 


7 


schools  ought  to  hold  in  the  system  of  missionary  efforts  among 
the  heathen.  And  the  Deputation  is  instructed  to  procure  an 
answer,  as  far  as  possible,  to  the  inquiry,  whether,  in  general, 
missionary  schools  should  not  be  restricted  to  converts  and 
stated  attendants  on  preaching  and  their  children.  The  chief 
doubt  of  the  Prudential  Committee  is,  how  far  there  are  fea- 
tures in  the  present  transition  state  of  the  India  population,  that 
should  retard  the  strict  application  of  this  rule  to  the  missions 
under  the  care  of  the  Board  ; nor  should  the  feelings,  habits, 
and  long  cherished  views  of  many  of  our  respected  brethren  in 
the  India  missions,  be  by  any  means  disregarded.  On  this  sub- 
ject the  Deputation  will  secure  the  most  unrestricted  inter- 
change of  views  with  their  brethren  in  each  of  the  missions, 
and,  as  far  as  may  be,  with  the  brethren  of  the  British  mis- 
sions. 

6.  The  Committee  have  never  been  able  to  appreciate  the 
reasons  for  so  great  a delay  in  putting  native  converts  into  the 
ministry,  and  into  the  pastoral  office.  To  this  highly  impor- 
tant point,  therefore,  the  Deputation  will  give  particular  atten- 
tion. 

7.  It  has  seemed  to  the  Committee,  that  the  procuring  of 
houses  of  worship  in  India,  except  for  the  use  of  the  missiona- 
ries in  the  first  instance,  is  not  among  the  duties  incumbent  on 
the  churches  of  America,  but  they  should  be  furnished  by  the 
natives  themselves  ; and  that  where  aid  from  us  is  deemed  ex- 
pedient, there  is  nothing  in  the  history  of  Apostolic  times,  nor 
of  the  early  periods  of  modern  evangelical  churches,  to  justify 
an  expenditure  with  a view  to  securing  architectural  effect. 
The  financial  importance  of  this  subject  will  secure  for  it  the 
attention  of  our  brethren  of  the  Deputation  wherever  they  go. 

8.  Our  Printing  Establishment  at  Madras  is  valued  at  thirty 
thousand  dollars,  and  has  large  provision  for  job  printing  in 
English.  The  Deputation  is  instructed  to  inquire  whether  the 
cause  of  missions  would  suffer,  were  this  establishment  reduced 
to  a strictly  Tamil  basis.  The  large  establishments  at  Bombay 
and  Jaffna  will  also  be  subjected  to  similar  inquiries. 

9.  The  natural  tendency  of  organizations  is  to  merge  the  in- 
dividual in  the  community.  The  Deputation  is  to  observe 
what  effect  this  principle  has  in  the  missions,  and  how  it  may 
be  so  far  counteracted  as  to  secure  a healthful  and  proper  degree 
of  individual  liberty  and  responsibility. 

10.  The  employment,  education,  salaries,  and  supervision  of 
native  helpers  will  be  another  object  of  great  interest  and  im- 
portance. 

11.  It  has  seemed  to  the  Committee,  that  of  late  years,  and 
in  some  of  the  missions,  there  has  been  an  increasing  disposi- 


8 


tion  to  form  plans  so  as  specially  to  reach  and  affect  the  brah- 
mins, and  other  high  cla'sses.  The  arguments  for  a higher 
education  are  based  somewhat  on  this.  The  Deputation  will 
ascertain  whether  there  is  any  undue  tendency  in  this  direction, 
having  in  view  the  Apostolic  precedents,  and  the  result  of  Apos- 
tolical labors. 

12.  Although  the  Committee  have  thus  called  the  attention 
of  the  Deputation  to  some  prominent  topics  to  which  their  in- 
quiries should  be  directed,  it  is  not  intended  to  restrict  them  in 
their  investigations  ; but,  taking  the  Resolution  by  which  they 
are  appointed  as  their  commission,  they  will  act  in  view  of  the 
solemn  responsibilities  placed  upon  them,  and  possess  them- 
selves of  all  such  information  as  they  shall  judge  will  be  of 
service  to  enlighten  the  Committee  and  the  Board  in  the  prose- 
cution of  their  great  work,  and  adopt  all  such  measures,  within 
the  scope  of  their  authority,  as  they  shall  judge  that  the  inter- 
ests of  the  various  missions  may  require. 

13.  The  Prudential  Committee  need  not  bestow  upon  these 
beloved  members  of  their  Deputation  words  of  commendation 
to  their  brethren  and  friends  of  the  missions.  Possessing  the 
utmost  confidence  and  love  of  the  Committee,  and  worthy  of 
the  highest  respect  and  affection  of  all  men,  they  are  intrusted 
with  this  important  service,  knowing  as  we  do  that,  with  the 
blessing  of  God,  rich  and  permanent  benefits  to  all  concerned 
will  result  from  their  embassy. 

May  they  come  to  the  missions  full  of  the  blessings  of  the 
gospel  of  peace  ; may  the  communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost  be 
with  them  and  the  missions  in  all  their  conferences  ; and  may 
their  Report  raise  the  affections  and  quicken  the  zeal  of  their 
fellow  Christians  at  home  ! 

On  behalf  of  the  Prudential  Committee  of  the  American 
Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions,  and  by  their 
order. 

Wm.  J.  Hubbard,  Chairman  of  Prud.  Com. 

S.  B.  Treat,  Clerk  “ “ 

Missionary  House,  Boston,  July  28,  1854.” 

Concession  made  to  the  Bombay  Mission. 

To  meet  the  views  of  their  Bombay  brethren  at  once,  so  far 
as  their  own  information  allowed  them  to  go,  the  Prudential 
Committee  adopted  the  following  Resolutions  on  the  2d  of 
May,  1854. 

“ Resolved,  That  the  Bombay  mission  be  authorized  to  com- 
mence a school,  in  a building  to  be  rented  for  the  purpose  and 


9 


on  the  general  plan  suggested  by  the  mission  in  letters  read  to 
the  Committee  April  18th  ; with  the  understanding, — 

“ 1.  That  the  vernacular  language  be  made  the  principal 
medium  of  instruction  in  the  school,  especially  in  the  inculca- 
tion of  religious  truth. 

“ 2.  That  the  whole  annual  expense  of  the  school,  exclusive 
of  the  salaries  of  missionaries  and  of  some  necessary  purchases 
of  school  books  and  apparatus  at  the  outset,  do  not  exceed 
three  thousand  rupees.  And, 

“ 3.  That  the  plan  of  the  school  shall  be  open  to  reconsid- 
eration and  modification  on  the  arrival  of  the  Deputation  at 
Bombay  ; and  that  assenting  to  the  opening  of  a school  of  this 
sort  in  Bombay,  shall  not  be  regarded  as  indicating  any  purpose, 
on  the  part  of  the  Prudential  Committee,  with  regard  to  similar 
schools  elsewhere.” 

The  High  School  thus  authorized,  was  all  that  the  Bebek 
Seminary  in  the  Armenian  mission,  or  the  one  at  Abeih  on 
Mount  Lebanon,  has  been  for  years  past.  On  reaching  Lon- 
don, we  heard  that  our  brethren  of  the  Bombay  mission,  pre- 
suming that  the  Committee’s  reply  would  be  in  the  affirmative, 
had  commenced  their  proposed  institution  on  the  1st  of  June, 
before  the  reply  had  time  to  reach  them. 

Opinions  on  Missionary  Schools. 

It  may  be  proper  to  remark,  that  when  we  went  forth,  and 
for  many  years  before,  there  was  no  point  in  controversy 
between  the  Missionary  House  and  any  of  the  India  missions, 
as  to  the  manner  of  conducting  missions.  Nor  had  either  of 
us  extreme  opinions  in  relation  to  schools.  We  occupied,  as 
we  long  have  done,  the  middle  ground  on  this  subject  ; and  so 
we  did  through  our  whole  tour.  A discussion  on  “Missionary 
Schools,”  written  some  eighteen  years  ago  by  the  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  Deputation,  to  counteract  an  unreasopable  prejudice 
then  existing  against  such  schools,  and  published  in  the  Biblical 
Repository  for  1838,  and  afterwards  as  a Missionary  Tract,  is 
still  a good  expression  of  our  opinions  on  that  branch  of  the 
missionary  work.  On  the  “ place  which  education  should  hold 
in  the  system  of  modern  missions,”  we  could  not  do  better 
than  to  quote  the  statement  under  that  head.  It  is  precisely 
the  doctrine  we  inculcated  in  India,  and  it  indicates  the  result 
to  which  our  brethren  everywhere  arrived  in  their  proceedings; 
namely,  “ That  the  system  of  education  in  all  its  parts , so  far 
as  it  is  supported  by  the  funds  of  the  mission,  should  have  a 
direct  reference  to  the  training  up  of  native  teachers  and 
preachers.'’’  There  is  no  reference  in  that  discussion  to  the 
use  of  the  English  language.  Were  its  author  now  to  rewrite 


10 


it  in  defence  of  missionary  schools  against  unreasonable  preju- 
dices, he  might,  indeed,  ^change  a few  of  its  aspects,  but  none 
of  its  doctrines.  And  all  in  the  hundred  pages  of  our  letters 
to  the  India  missions,  printed  in  connection  with  the  proceed- 
ings of  those  missions,  would  be  found,  it  is  believed,  in  con- 
sonance with  those  doctrines.* 


Travels  regulated  by  the  Seasons. 

We  sailed  from  Boston  on  the  2d  of  August,  1854,  having  a 
regard  for  the  seasons  as  they  were  made  known  to  us  by  Dr. 
Allen,  who  had  spent  many  years  in  India.  We  needed  to 


* The  portion  of  the  Troct  on  ‘ Missionary  Schools’  above  referred  to,  is  here  subjoined  : 

“ It  is  time  now  to  stale,  more  precisely,  what  place  education  should  hold  in  the  system  of 
modern  missions. 

“ 1.  If  we  were  to  regard  education  simply  as  a convenient  method  of  inculcating  a 
knowledge  of  the  gospel  on  minds  of  a certain  class,  still  it  may  properly  be  used  by  the 
missionary.  So  far  as  heathen  youth  are  concerned,  it  is  found  in  practice  to  be  the  only 
method  of  getting  early  access  to  their  minds,  the  only  method  of  preaching  the  gospel  to 
them  It  is  often  the  most  direct  and  effectual  means  of  bringing  others,  and  especially 
parents,  under  the  preached  gospel.  (Actsxix.  9)  The  visitation  and  superintendence  of 
schools  also  gives  a fine  field  of  usefulness  to  missionaries  recently  come  upon  the  ground, 
and  not  enough  acquainted  with  the  native  language  to  preach  formally  to  the  adults.  It  is 
almost  the  only  thing  they  can  do ; and  in  the  larger  missions  there  will  almost  always  be 
some  missionaries  in  this  condition. 

“ 2.  In  barbarous  pagan  countries,  if  we  would  make  any  use  of  the  press  and  the  printed 
word  of  God.  elementary  schools  are  indispensable.  If  we  withhold  the  Bible  from  the 
pagan,  no  matter  how,  in  what  respect  does  our  policy  differ  from  that  of  the  church  of 
Rome  ? 1 need  not  say  that  books  and  the  press  are  useless  in  a community  which  cannot 

read. 

“ 3.  Ages  of  experience  in  Protestant  Christendom  have  shown  that  connecting  a small 
system  of  schools  with  the  stated  and  frequent  preaching  of  the  gospel,  is  wise  as  a means 
of  increasing  the  elfect  of  preaching  and  the  durability  of  its  influence.  And  if  it  be  so 
within  the  bounds  of  Christendom,  why  not  beyond?  The  ministry  throughout  the  world 
acts  under  one  and  the  same  commission,  and  is  governed  by  one  and  the  same  code  of  laws. 
The  gospel  they  preach  is  the  same.  Human  nature,  with  which  they  have  to  deal,  is  the 
same,  if  the  circumstances  differ,  as  they  do  very  greatly,  the  difference  only  shows  the 
greater  need  of  connecting  schools  with  preaching  among  those  who  know  not  the  gospel. 
The  ordained  missionary  will  indeed  engage  no  more  than  is  necessary  in  their  elementary 
instruction.  He  will  commit  this,  as  soon  as  may  be,  to  native  teachers.  .But  when  occu- 
pying a fixed  station,  he  will  no  more  be  without  such  schools  than  the  pastor  at  home,  and 
no  more  will  he  withhold  from  them  his  fostering  care  and  watchful  guardianship.  The  mis- 
sionary who  has  these  schools  around  him,  and  the  missionary  who  has  them  not,  will  do 
well  from  year  to  year  to  compare  their  respective  congregations,  and  the  results  of  their 
preaching.  Let  their  native  churches  also  be  compared,  and  their  prospects  among  the 
rising  generation. 

“ 4.  After  all,  we  cannot  undertake  to  educate  the  youth  of  the  whole  heathen  world,  nor 
even  any  considerable  proportion  of  them  The  labor  and  the  expense  are-  both  out  of  the 
question.  Whatever  it  may  be  proper  or  desirable  for  us  to  do,  in  a general  point  of  view, 
the  scantiness  of  the  means  placed  at  the  disposal  of  missionary  societies  renders  it  expedi- 
ent, yea  unavoidably  necessary,  that  schools  at  the  expense  of  such  societies  be  established 
on  a limited  scale  We  can  educate  only  the  few,  and  they  must  educate  the  many.  Our 
pupils,  as  far  as  possible,  should  be  select,  and  selected  with  some  regard  to  the  ulterior 
employment  of  the  most  promising  of  them  as  helpers  in  the  mission.  Our  schools  should 
be  model  schools.  They  should  be  nurseries  of  teachers.  They  should  be  introductory  to 
the  higher  seminary,  and  preparatory  to  it.  The  preached  gospel  must  at  all  events  be  sus- 
tained, and  the  number- of  schools  should  be  regulated  by  the  means  placed  at  the  disposal 
of  the  society,  and  the  balance  remaining  of  what  is  appropriated  to  the  mission,  after  pro- 
viding for  the  support  of  its  preaching  members.  Still  I must  doubt, — if  missionaries  are 
not  to  be  mere  itinerants,  if  they  are  to  have  a fixed  residence  and  operate  within  the  bounds 
of  some  one  district, — whether  the  church  has  any  right  to  insist  upon  their  laboring  wholly 
without  schools;  or,  in  other  words,  without  a system  of  means  in  operation  around  them 
for  rearing  up  native  helpers  and  successors  in  their  work.  Do  the  Scriptures  confer  any 


11 


avoid,  if  possible,  both  the  rains  and  the  excessive  heats  of 
that  country.  In  this  a kind  Providence  favored  us  beyond 
our  expectations.  We  reached  Bombay  just  after  the  rains  ; 
visited  the  Deccan  in  the  cool  of  winter ; and  finished  our 
work  in  the  Madura  mission  before  the  hot  season.  It  was 
now  evident,  that  we  could  not  reach  home  in  time  for  the 
meeting  of  the  Board  at  Utica.  The  unavoidable  delays 
brought  us  to  the  Ceylon  mission  after  those  fearful  diseases, 
the  cholera  and  small-pox,  had  subsided  in  Jaffna,  (by  one  of 
which  our  brother  Poor  was  removed  from  his  earthly  labors,) 
and  when  the  dry  south-west  monsoon  had  begun  to  send  its 
healthful  breezes  across  the  District.  And  thus  it  happened 


such  right  on  the  churches  1 Do  they  impose  any  such  obligation  on  the  missionary  ? Had 
missionaries  the  power  of  conferring  supernatural  gifts  by  the  laying  on  of  their  hands,  as 
the  Apostles  and  some  of  their  associates  had,  the  case  would  be  very  different. 

“ o While  I assert  the  legitimate  use  of  schools  as  one  of  the  means  of  propagating  the 
gospel  in  foreign  missions,  and  while  I maintain  the  right  of  missionaries  to  be  furnished  with 
them  to  a certain  extent.  1 would  suggest  a general  rule  in  relation  to  their  establishment; 
having  respect  in  this  rule  to  the  average  amount  of  funds  which  experience  has  shown  may 
he  relied  on  by  missionary  societies,  and  the  proportionate  demand  which  will  be  made  on 
these  for  sending  forth  and  supporting  preachers  of  the  gospel.  The  rule  is  this: — That  the 
system  of  education,  in  all  its  parts,  so  far  as  it  is  supported  by  the  funds  of  the  mission,  should 
have  a direct  reference  to  the  training  up  of  native  teachers  and  preachers.  To  this,  in  the 
smaller  missions,  and  also  in  the  less  concentrated  missions,  there  must  be  exceptions.  A 
liberal  construction  should  always  be  given  to  it.  In  some  missions,  as  among  the  Tamil 
people  of  Ceylon  and  Southern  India,  the  rule  itself  may  require  a considerable  number  of 
schools;  to  awaken  attention,  to  give  tone  to  the  public  mind  with  respect  to  education,  fur- 
nish a better  selection,  give  importance  to  the  subject  in  the  view  of  the  select  pupils,  open 
a field  for  the  occasional  trial  of  their  powers  while  pursuing  their  studies,  and  strengthen 
their  motives  to  arrive  at  high  attainments.  Still,  whatever  scope  is  allowed  for  the  exercise 
of  discretion  in  arranging  and  managing  the  details  of  the  system,  there  will  be  a great  prac- 
tical advantage  in  having  the  one  definite  object  proposed  by  this  rule.  And  it  is  a question, 
whether  missions  themselves  ought  not  to  be  established,  organized,  and  prosecuted  with 
more  reference  to  the  same  end.  Are  not  many  of  our  missions  modeled  as  they  should  be, 
if  our  object  and  expectation  were  to  furnish  a full  supply  of  preachers  from  Christendom 
for  all  the  nations  of  the  heathen  world,  now  and  for  ages  to  come;  and  as  they  should  not 
be,  if  our  object  be  to  imitate  the  Apostles  by  throwing  the  great  amount  of  permanent  labor 
upon  converted  natives,  and  introducing  what  the  Holy  Spirit  may  be  expected  to  make  a 
self-sustaining,  self-propagating  Christianity  ? 

“ The  plan  suggested  would  involve  a seminary  of  a higher  order  in  each  considerable 
mission,  which  would  receive  pupils  from  the  preparatory  schools,  and  conduct  them  through 
a course  of  liberal  education  more  or  less  protracted  These  seminaries  should  be  com- 
menced on  a small  scale,  and  enlarged  no  faster  than  shall  be  necessary.  They  should  com- 
bine the  college  and  the  school  of  theology.  The  notion  that  instruction  in  the  principles  of 
human  science  must  precede  the  study  of  theology,  is  derived  from  the  schools  of  philsophy, 
and  is  not  countenanced  by  the  word  of  God.  The  plain,  simple  theology  of  the  Scriptures 
can  be  taught  to  youth,  and  even  to  heathen  youth,  in  every  stage  of  their  education.  The 
institutions  should  be  eminently  missionary  institutions.  The  whole  course  of  education, 
from  beginning  to  end,  should  he  Christian.  It  should  be  no  part  of  the  object  of  these  sem- 
inaries to  educate  natives  for  the  law,  nor  for  medicine,  nor  for  civil  affairs,  nor  for  trade, 
except  so  far  as  this  will  directly  promote  the  legitimate  objects  of  the  missions  with  which 
they  are  connected  The  course  of  instruction  should  be  planned  with  a view  to  raising  up, 
through  the  blessing  of  God,  an  efficient  body  of  native  helpers  in  the  several  departments 
of  missionary  labor — to  be  teachers  of  schools,  catechists,  tutors  and  professors  in  the  sem- 
inaries, and,  above  all,  preachers  of  the  gospel,  pastors  of  the  native  churches,  and  mission- 
aries to  the  neighboring  heathen  districts  and  countries.  For  this  purpose  the  seminaries 
should  be  furnished  with  competent  teachers,  and  with  all  necessary  books  and  apparatus  ; 
and  a press  should  generally  be  in  their  neighborhood. 

“ These  missionary  seminaries  will  be  as  really  subordinate  to  the  preaching  of  the  gospel, 
as  are  the  theological  seminaries  of  our  own  country.  If  we  teach  in  them,  and  in  so  doing 
turn  a<ide  in  any  degree  from  the  formal  ministry  of  the  word,  it  will  be  that  we  may  multi- 
ply teachers  and  ministers  of  the  word  Our  object  will  be  the  more  effectually  to  plant 
these  instrumentalities,  which,  with  God’s  blessing,  will  secure  for  the  gospel  a permanent 
footing  and  constant  increase  in  heathen  countries.”# 


12 


that  we  were  at  Madras  and  in  Arcot  when  the  hot  season  was 
nearly  over. 

II. 

LETTERS  RECEIVED  FROM  DR.  POOR. 

Soon  after  reaching  Bombay,  we  received  a letter  from  Dr. 
Poor,  of  the  Ceylon  mission,  which  had  the  double  effect  of 
impressing  us  with  the  difficulty  of  the  problems  to  be  solved 
in  that  mission,  and  awaking  a hope  that,  when  we  were  once 
together,  we  might  be  guided  to  solutions  which  should  har- 
monize the  views  of  the  older  and  younger  missionaries.  It 
had  been  the  privilege  of  the  senior  member  of  the  Deputation 
to  correspond  with  that  devoted  missionary  for  the  space  of 
thirty  years,  and  this  letter,  dated  November  15,  1854,  was  the 
last  in  the  series  addressed  by  his  own  hand.  As  it  exerted 
considerable  influence  upon  the  feelings  with  which  we  prose- 
cuted our  official  duties  in  India,  and  was  not  without  influence 
upon  the  brethren  whom  we  saw,  before  we  reached  Ceylon, 
the  Board  will  permit  us  here  to  make  some  extracts  from  it. 
In  this  letter  Dr.  Poor  says: 

“ For  several  years  past,  we  have  been  about  to  enter  upon  a 
new  and  advanced  stage  of  progress  ; but  though  time  has  run 
on,  the  affairs  of  the  mission  have  remained  stationary,  or  in 
some  respects,  certainly  in  a retrograde  course.  Being  our- 
selves dissatisfied  with  the  present  state  of  things,  we  are 
almost  ready  to  look  hard  at  each  other,  and  at  the  Prudential 
Committee,  as  presenting  obstacles  to  further  progress  ; not, 
however,  without  occasional  and  strong  suspicions  that  we,  the 
complainants,  may  prove  to  be  defaulters  in  our  high  enterprise. 
The  object  of  these  remarks  is  to  stimulate  the  zeal  and 
courage  of  the  Deputation  to  come  on,  in  the  confidence  of 
hope  that  the  great  Head  of  missions  may  have  so  timed  your 
visit,  as  to  bring  you  hither  at  the  very  crisis  in  our  affairs, 
when,  by  the  united  counsels  of  the  East  and  the  West,  the 
mission  may  be  put  forward  upon  the  right  track,  with  in- 
creased velocity  and  safety.  And  this  will  we  do,  if  Cod  per- 
mit and  assist.” 

The  whole  of  this  quotation  is  worthy  of  special  attention. 
Dr.  Poor  says,  that  the  mission  had  “ been  about  to  enter  upon 
a new  and  advanced  stage  of  progress,”  but  had  not,  and  had 
rather  lost  ground;  that  they  were  themselves  “dissatisfied 
with  the  present  state  of  things  ; ” and  that  he  had  written  to 
stimulate  the  zeal  and  courage  of  the  Deputation  to  come  to 
Ceylon,  with  the  confident  hope  that  the  great  Head  of  mis- 
sions had  so  timed  their  visit,  as  to  bring  them  there  at  the 


13 


very  crisis  in  the  affairs  of  the  mission,  when  the  combined 
exertions  of  the  mission  and  the  Deputation  would  “ put  them 
forward  on  the  right  track,  with  increased  velocity  and  safety.” 
It  is  not  supposed  that  our  venerable  brother  had  any  specific 
changes  in  view  ; indeed,  we  presume  he  had  not  ; only  he 
was  impressed  with  the  necessity  of  some  modification,  that 
should  have  the  effect,  through  the  divine  blessing,  to  relieve 
the  mission  from  its  present  embarrassed  position. 

After  describing  in  what  condition  he  and  his  associates 
found  the  District  of  Jaffna,  when  they  arrived  in  the  year 
1816,  he  goes  on  to  state  how  their  school  system  arose,  and 
that  they  were  then  ready  for  any  real  improvement  in  their 
system.  “As  this  state  of  things  opened  upon  us,  it  became 
more  and  more  evident  to  us,  that  nothing  short  of  a wide- 
spread system  of  elementary  Christian  education  in  the  ver- 
nacular tongue,  and  a thoroughgoing  system  of  scientific  and 
theological  instruction,  both  in  Tamil  and  English,  were  the 
appropriate  means  to  be  used.  Such  a course  seemed  indis- 
pensably necessary  for  securing  the  desired  access  to  all  classes, 
male  and  female,  for  the  one  great  object  of  preaching  the  gos- 
pel to  every  creature.  Both  these  systems  of  education  we 
have  been  permitted  to  carry  to  an  extent  beyond  all  our 
thoughts,  and  with  a degree  of  success  not  distinctly  antici- 
pated. We  are  however,  I trust,  ready  to  abandon  either  or 
both  of  these  courses,  as  soon  as  it  can  be  made  to  appear  to  us, 
that  there  is  ‘a  more  excellent  way.’  ” 

What  specially  impressed  the  mind  of  Dr.  Poor,  was  the  pe- 
culiar condition  of  the  native  churches,  resulting  from  the  long 
continued  predominance  of  their  eleemosynary  system.  “ Our 
churches,”  he  says  in  the  same  letter,  “as  now  constituted,  are 
in  an  artificial  state , and  appear  more  comely  to  a casual  ob- 
server, than  they  really  are. — For,  (1.)  they  were,  as  a body, 
reared  in  our  boarding  establishments  ; which,  as  we  have 
often  remarked,  are  like  unto  hot-houses  in  the  frigid  zone. — 
(2.)  They  are  to  a great  extent  sustained  by  the  mission,  being 
in  mission  employment,  earning  their  livelihood  indeed,  but 
envied  by  the  heathen. — (3.)  As  they  then  are  not  a self-sus- 
taining church,  in  the  most  desirable  sense,  they  are,  to  a great 
extent,  disabled  from  becoming  a witnessing  church,  which  is 
the  grand  desideratum  in  the  land. — And  (4.)  the  profession  of 
Christianity,  or  certainly  the  possession  of  it,  has,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  case,  been  attended  with  such  worldly  bene- 
fits, as  to  have  begotten  and  strengthened  a mercenary  spirit  in 
all  around  ns.  In  view  of  these  and  other  collateral  circum- 
stances, the  native  church  stands  before  us  under  an  uncomely 
aspect,  and  awakens  our  deepest  anxieties.” 


14 


“ The  children  of  church  members,”  Dr.  Poor  adds,  “ are 
being  multiplied,  and  it  is  not  easy  to  foresee  how  they  can  be 
sustained  without  becoming  in  some  degree  amalgamated  with 
the  heathen,  which  may  necessarily  produce  a disastrous  reac- 
tion upon  the  parents.” 

He  then  describes — somewhat  too  strongly  we  think — an- 
other ground  of  apprehension,  saying,  “ We  have  long  been 
pained  to  notice,  that  when  the  church  members  leave  the 
service  of  the  mission,  they  either  at  once  or  gradually  leave 
the  church  and  all  regularity  of  attendance  on  Christian  ordi- 
nances, as  though  they  were  freed  from  a yoke  of  bondage. 
Many  of  them  openly  apostatize  from  the  faith,  and  others  make 
ingenious  apologies  for  their  irregularities.  It  is  impossible, 
therefore,  for  us  to  predict  how  many  would  stand  fast  in  the 
faith,  should  the  whole  body  of  church  members  be  made  inde- 
pendent of  mission  service.” 

“These,”  he  adds,  “ are  some  of  the  thoughts  on  a prospec- 
tive view  of  the  affairs  of  the  native  church,  in  anticipation  of 
the  gradual  removal  of  the  evils  naturally  arising  from  the  elee- 
mosynary system  we  have  introduced.  And  the  same  view 
renders  it  highly  probable  that  our  junior  brethen  have  a more 
arduous  task  before  them,  than  has  hitherto  been  accomplished 
by  their  seniors.  And  for  such  an  enterprise  let  them  be  firmly 
girded,  richly  endowed,  and  newly  anointed  from  on  high.  In 
one  point  we  have  already  begun  to  sympathize  with  them  ; 
i.  e.,  that  they  should  be  called  in  Providence  to  become  the 
foster-fathers  of  the  weaklings  we  have  begotten,  and  whom, 
with  all  their  weaknesses,  we  must  presently  give  over  to  their 
charge.  We  must  admit,  and  you  will  regard  the  admission  cred- 
ible m proportion  as  you  know  the  1 hole  of  the  pit ' from  which 
they  were  digged,  and  in  which,  to  a great  extent,  they  are  now 
re-settled, — we  must  admit,  I repeat,  that  these  weaklings  are 
heathenish  and  worldly , not  valiant  for  the  truth , mercenary 
aud  dwarfish.'’ 

In  a note,  Dr.  Poor  says  that  there  is  a redeeming  view  to 
this  picture.  We  do  not  precisely  know  to  what  he  referred; 
but  we  believe  that  his  brethren  of  the  mission  all  looked  more 
hopefully  upon  the  native  church,  than  he  would  seem  to  have 
done.  We  ourselves  did  ; having  formed  an  accpiaintance  with 
several  educated  helpers  in  the  mission,  who,  if  they  had  the 
responsibilities  of  the  pastoral  office  in  village  churches,  might 
become  good  Christian  ministers.  Yet  was  there  too  much 
ground  for  his  strictures. 

The  exercises  of  Dr.  Poor’s  mind  very  affectingly  appear  in 
a few  lines  he  dictated  to  the  same  member  of  the  Deputation, 
after  he  was  so  suddenly  prostrated  by  the  cholera  upon  his 


15 


death-bed  ; — which  was  after  we  had  reached  the  Madura 
mission,  and  he  had  doubtless  heard  of  the  proceedings  in  the 
Mahratta  missions.  This  dying  message  was  expressed  in  these 
words:  “ Tell  Dr.  Anderson  I have  the  impression  that  the  Dep- 
utation is  sent  of  the  Lord,  and  I have  anticipated  meeting  them 
with  great  pleasure.  But  I have  written  him  freely,  and  all  of 
you  know  my  views.  It  may  be  better  that  I should  not  be 
here  when  they  come.  Truth  may  have  a better  hearing. 
This  is  all  I would  say  to  Dr.  Anderson.” 

We  were  much  affected  by  this  message,— first,  that  Dr. 
Poor  should  think  of  us  at  such  a time,  when  sending  hurried 
messages  from  the  very  borders  of  the  grave  to  children  and 
friends  ; and  that  he  should  send  us  his  distinct  impression, 
cherished  as  he  was  leaving  the  world,  that  we  were  called  of 
the  Lord  to  make  this  visit,  and  his  assurance  that  he  had 
enjoyed  great  pleasure  in  the  anticipation  of  meeting  us.  And, 
secondly , that  he  should  think  the  Lord  was  calling  him  away, 
in  order  to  facilitate  the  discussion  and  adoption  of  the  neces- 
sary changes  in  the  mission. 

It  should  be  added  that  Dr.  Poor  was  the  first  principal  of 
the  Batticotta  Seminary,  but  resigned  the  office  almost  twenty 
years  ago,  and  had  subsequently  sustained  no  other  relation  to 
the  educational  system  of  the  mission,  than  did  the  rest  of  his 
brethren. 


III. 

INTERCOURSE  WITH  THE  MISSIONS. 

We  were  together  two  hundred  and  twenty  days,  or  more 
than  seven  months,  among  the  India  missions ; and  after 
Mr.  Thompson’s  departure  for  home,  his  associate  spent  near  a 
month  at  Calcutta,  and  two  months  in  the  Syrian  and  Arme- 
nian missions.* 

On  reaching  a mission,  our  first  business  was  to  visit  the 
several  stations,  that  we  might  gain  an  accurate  acquaintance 
with  them  by  a free,  personal  intercourse  with  our  brethren. 
The  object  of  this  visit  was  not  to  discuss  questions  of  mission 
policy,  but  to  perfect  our  knowledge  of  facts,  and  to  ascertain 


* The  Deputation  spent  72  days  in  the  Mahratta  missions;  50  in  the  Madina  mission  ; 65 
in  the  Ceylon ; 21  in  the  Madras  ; and  12  in  the  Arcot  ; — in  all,  220  days.  Mr.  Thompson 
then  embarked  at  Madras  on  his  homeward  voyage  ; but,  detained  by  illness,  spent  a fort- 
night in  the  .Syrian  mission,  and  nine  days  at  Smyrna,  m which  time  he  visited  the  church 
lately  organized  at  Thyatira  ; — making  his  sojourn  in  the  missions  more  than  eight  months. 
Dr  Anderson  was  24.  days  in  Calcutta,  14  in  the  Syrian  mission,  and  46  in  the  Armenian, — 
visiting  Kessab,  Antioch,  Aleppo,  Aintah  and  Constantinople; — making  84  days,  and  a 
total  in  the  missions,  for  him,  of' 304  days,  or  about  ten  months.  Their  arrival  at  Hombay 
was  on  the  2d  of  November,  1854;  Mr.  Thompson  s departure  from  Smyrna  was  Septem- 
ber 12.  1855,  and  Dr.  Anderson’s  from  Constantinople  was  November  8th  The  former 
reached  his  native  shores  October  27,  1855,  and  the  latter  January  13  1856.  The  shorter 
absence  was  one  year  and  a quarter,  and  the  longer  nearly  one  year  and  a half. 


16 


the  individual  impressions  of  our  brethren  as  to  the  proper 
method  of  dealing  with  the  facts.  In  this,  which  was  the 
most  laborious  part  of  our  duty,  we  were  generally  very  suc- 
cessful ; and  this  was  an  essential  preparation  of  our  own  minds 
for  the  protracted  meetings  of  the  missions  which  followed. 
The  number  of  stations  thus  visited  was  thirty-seven, — twenty- 
eight  in  India,  and  nine  in  Western  Asia.  We  had  formal 
conferences,  in  special  meetings,  with  the  Mahratta,  Madura, 
Ceylon,  Madras,  Arcot,  and  Syrian  missions,  and  with  such 
members  of  the  Armenian  mission  as  could  assemble  at  Aintab 
and  Constantinople.  The  aggregate  number  of  our  brethren 
present  at  these  meetings,  was  fifty-eight  ; the  number  of 
sessions  one  hundred  and  six,  occupying  the  business  hours  of 
seventy-eight  days;  and  the  number  of  written  reports  dis- 
cussed and  adopted  in  these  sessions,  eighty-seven.  Of  these, 
thirty-three  missionaries,  fifty-nine  days  devoted  to  the  general 
meetings,  eighty-seven  sessions,  and  sixty-two  reports,  stand 
connected  with  the  India  missions.* 

A small  edition  of  the  proceedings  at  these  meetings,  includ- 
ing our  official  letters  to  the  missions,  has  been  printed  for  the 
use  of  the  Prudential  Committee  and  the  missions.  It  was  the 
only  practicable  method  of  procuring  the  requisite  number  of 
copies. 

For  the  sake  of  showing  the  method  of  proceeding  in  the 
several  missions,  we  will  give  a brief  description  of  the  pro- 
ceedings in  the  Ceylon  mission.  It  will  serve  for  a specimen 
of  the  other  proceedings.  The  proper  limits  of  this  Report  will 
not  allow  us  to  do  more,  and  probably  more  is  not  needed  for 
the  objects  of  this  meeting  ; especially  as  there  are  copies 
enough  on  hand  of  the  entire  proceedings  in  the  missions  to 
serve  for  committees. 


* The  number  of  missionaries,  length  of  the  meetings,  number  of  sessions,  and  of  written 
reports,  are  indicated  in  the  following  table : 


Missions. 

Missionaries 

present. 

Length  of 
meetings  in 
days. 

Number  of 
sessions^ 

Number  of 
written  re- 
ports. 

Mahratta, 

9 

16 

22 

17 

Madura,  .... 

10 

16 

19 

22 

Ceylon,  .... 

9 

20 

38 

21 

Madras,  .... 

2 

4 

4 

1 

Arcot,  .... 

3 

3 

4 

1 

In  India , . 

33 

59 

87 

62 

Syrian,  .... 

11 

5 

5 

12 

Aintab,  .... 

3 

6 

6 

1 

Constantinople, 

11 

8 

8 

12  • 

In  Western  Asia , 

25 

19 

19 

25 

Total,  . 

58 

78 

106 

87 

17 


IV. 

PROCEEDINGS  IN  THE  CEYLON  MISSION. 

We  landed  in  Jaffna  on  Monday,  April  2,  1855.  The  first 
three  weeks  were  devoted,  acordmg  to  onr  custom,  to  vis- 
iting the  brethren  at  their  seven  stations.  We  nowhere  found 
a more  intelligent  and  devoted  body  of  missionaries  ; and  our 
progress  through  their  stations  had  the  effect  to  relieve  us  in  a 
considerable  degree  of  the  apprehensions  we  had  on  our  arrival. 

On  the  10th  of  April,  a meeting  of  the  graduates  of  the 
Batticotta  Seminary  was  held,  to  give  us  a public  welcome  to 
the  Province.  It  was  entirely  their  own  movement;  and 
nearly  half  of  the  454  graduates,  then  living,  were  supposed 
to  be  present.  The  meeting  reminded  us  of  college-alumni 
meetings  in  our  own  land.  It  made,  too,  a strong  impression 
upon  us,  that  perhaps  the  mission  had  done  its  full  share  of 
direct  labor  for  general  education,  and  that  the  unsanctified 
intelligence  of  the  Province  had  grown  out  of  proportion  to 
the  controlling  religious  influence  in  the  mission  and  the  native 
churches.  In  short,  we  sympathized  a good  deal  with  the  last 
speaker  at  the  meeting,  a native  gentleman  of  much  intelli- 
gence, who  had  made  himself  a successful  medical  practitioner, 
and  who  spoke  as  follows  : “ It  is  a source  of  pleasure  to  us  to 
see  our  country  civilized,  and  our  countrymen  well  educated. 
I say  well  educated,  for  Mr.  Merwin  [a  native  gentleman  who 
had  preceded  him]  says,  that  the  existing  system  is  not  high 
enough  to  raise  up  efficient  men  for  government  employment, 
and  applies  to  Dr.  Anderson  to  raise  the  standard  a little  higher. 
But  whom  are  we  expecting  to  do  this  ? Is  it  binding  upon 
Dr.  Anderson,  or  upon  these  missionaries,  to  effect  this?  If 
you  will  but  allow  me,  gentlemen,  to  answer  these  questions  in 
the  words  of  a young  Ceylonese  gentleman,  who  is  now  in 
Europe,  I will  say  with  him,  No;  this  is  not  binding  upon 
Dr.  Anderson,  or  the  missionaries,  at  all.  ‘ Now  that  the  mis- 
sionaries have  pointed  out  the  way,’  says  the  gentleman  above 
referred  to,  ‘it  is  the  bounden  duty  of  the  more  civilized  and 
wealthier  part  of  the  native  community  to  come  forward  to 
effect  this.  I know  some  are  already  awakened  to  the  sense  of 
this  their  obligation.  But  it  is  not  in  the  power  of  a few  to 
accomplish  this.  Let  me,  therefore,  earnestly  entreat  of  my 
educated  countrymen  to  view  this  as  absolutely  obligatory 
upon  them.  The  seed  has  been  sown  for  us  ; let  us  now  con- 
trib.ute  our  labors  to  its  growth.  The  tree  has  been  planted  ; 
it  now  remains  for  us  to  prune  and  water  it.  The  foundation, 
the  imperishable  foundation,  has  been  laid  ; come,  my  beloved 
countrymen,  let  us  raise  the  superstructure.  fje  thankful  for 


18 


what  we  have  received  from  the  missionaries,  and  lay  no  more 
claim  to  their  labors.’  ” 

The  mission  assembled  on  the  25th  of  April  ; and  when  it 
was  duly  organized,  we  read  a statement  of  facts  and  opinions 
just  as  they  lay  in  our  minds,  after  the  personal  inquiries  we 
had  made  at  the  several  stations;  but  we  took  care  to  affirm, 
that  all  we  then  said  was  merely  suggestive , and  that  we  held 
ourselves  free  to  modify  or  change  every  opinion  we  had 
advanced,  during  the  discussion  that  was  about  to  ensue.  The 
whole  tenor  of  the  discussion,  the  reports,  the  measures  pro- 
posed by  the  mission,  all  showed  that  no  idea  of  authority 
attached  itself  in  their  minds  to  our  suggestions. 

The  following  list  of  subjects  was  then  read  ; containing 
those  we  wished  to  have  discussed,  and  also  a list  handed  to 
us  by  the  mission.  The  digest  and  arrangement  were  our 
own. 

‘ l.  The  governing  object  in  missions  to  the  heathen. — Should 
it  be  the  conversion  of  sinners,  the  gathering  of  those  converts 
into  churches,  and  the  ordaining  of  native  pastors  over  those 
churches  ? 

‘2.  Preaching. — Its  connection  with  schools — difficulty  of 
obtaining  stated  congregations  from  those  not  in  the  schools  or 
supported  by  mission  funds — permanent  congregations — preach- 
ing at  the  stations  and  in  the  villages — comparative  disposition 
of  the  heathen  to  attend  at  the  churches  and  at  school  bunga- 
lows— preaching  by  the  missionaries — amount  and  value  of 
native  preaching. 

‘3.  Native  Churches  and  Pastors. — Evidence  of  piety  to  be 
required  for  church-membership — organization  and  discipline 
of  the  native  churches — is  the  church  covenant  sufficiently 
explicit — names  given  to  children — in  what  circumstances 
churches  should  be  formed,  and  have  native  pastors — whether 
native  preachers  should  be  ordained  except  as  pastors — licen- 
sure as  catechists  and  preachers — the  proper  relations  of  native 
churches  and  pastors  to  the  mission — relation  which  mission- 
aries and  the  mission  should  bear  to  them — why  no  native 
pastors  hitherto — power  of  the  mission,  as  such,  to  organize 
native  churches,  ordain  native  pastors,  and  to  superintend  the 
same — advantages  arising  from  this  being  done  by  the  mission, 
as  such,  rather  than  by  a separate  body  organized  for  the  pur- 
pose by  missionaries  in  their  simple  character  of  ministers  of 
the  gospel — whether  all  native  pastors  should  be  educated  alike, 
and  what  education  should  be  afforded  them — where  it  is 
desirable  that  churches  should  now  be  organized,  and  native 
pastors  ordained — whether  native  pastors  are  desirable  at  any 
of  the  station  churches. 


19 


( 4.  Caste  and  Polygamy. — How  far  caste  exists  among 
church-members — how  far  there  are  specific  actions  in  church- 
members,  bearing  a relation  to  caste,  which  ought  to  be  dis- 
countenanced in  native  preachers  and  catechists,  and  how  far 
such  actions  are  observable  in  the  social  life  of  church-mem- 
bers— what  should  be  done  to  eradicate  such  causes  of  disunion 
and  dishonor  from  the  native  churches — whether  there  is  any 
actual  regard  paid  to  caste-distinctions  any  where  in  the  distri- 
bution of  the  cup  in  the  Lord’s  Supper — whether  any  one 
should  be  ordained  as  a pastor,  or  licensed  as  a preacher,  who, 
on  being  directly  questioned  on  the  subject  in  his  examination 
for  licensure  or  ordination,  refuses  to  declare  himself  willing  to 
eat  any  kind  of  food  with  a Christian  on  the  ground  of  its  being 
prepared  by  a low  caste  person — how  far  caste  is  regarded  in 
admissions  to  the  Seminary,  and  the  Female  Boarding  School 
— how  far  Polygamy  exists  here — whether  found  at  all  in  the 
church — how  it  is  regarded  and  treated. 

‘5.  Station  Schools.  (1.)  English  Schools. — Number  of 
these  and  their  relation  to  the  Batticolta  Seminary — why  called 
English  schools — their  effect  to  cultivate  a taste  for  English 
studies  in  the  villages — missionary  value  of  these  schools — 
their  effect  on  the  village  female  schools — effect  of  their  dis- 
continuance. 

‘(2.)  Girls'  Schools. — Prejudice  against  female  education — 
means  employed  to  bring  girls  to  the  schools — whether  the 
donations  of  clothes,  &c.,  ought  to  be  continued — effects  of  these 
on  Christian  parents  and  their  children — condition  and  prosper- 
ity of  village  schools  for  females. 

1 (3.)  The  Free  Schools. — Their  rise — comparative  preva- 
lence, in  periods  of  five  years — employment,  of  heathen  masters 
— how  far  the  mission  took  schools  that  were  actually  existing 
into  pay — what  was  taught — number  taught  in  these  schools — 
estimated  average  time  of  continuance  in  the  schools — preach- 
ing to  them — were  there  conversions  in  these  schools — what  is 
known  of  the  pupils  since  leaving  the  schools — what  of  their 
heathen  masters — how  far  parents  were  drawn  to  hear  preach- 
ing and  the  effect  of  this — estimated  cost  of  these  schools  on 
the  whole — how  far  they  now  exist — native  books  used  in  the 
schools — whether  these  schools  have  answered  expectation  in 
promoting  the  grand  object  of  the  mission — on  sustaining  the 
free  schools  mainly  for  children  of  Christians. 

‘6.  Oodooville  Female  Boarding  School. — Historical  facts — 
statistical  views — results — difficulties  that  were  to  be  overcome 
— how  far  this  has  been  effected — changes  now  to  be  made — 
exclusion  of  English  studies — shortening  the  period  of  residence 


20 


in  the  school — reduction  of  the  number  of  pupils — preparations 
to  be  required  in  Tamil  studies. 

‘7.  Batlicotta  Seminary.  — Rise  and  progress  of  the  institu- 
tion— what  was  its  design  at  the  outset,  and  what  it  has  been 
since — what  has  been  the  number  of  pupils,  and  what  they 
have  done  since  leaving  the  institution — the  education  given — 
the  number  of  English  studies  attended  to  compared  with  those 
in  Tamil — why  the  native  mind  is  so  intent  on  English  studies 
— feelings  of  native  teachers  in  the  Seminary  towards  Tamil 
text-books,  as  compared  with  English — effect  of  the  English 
studies  on  the  several  Principals,  retarding  their  acquisition  of 
Tamil — effect  of  introducing  pay-scholars  upon  the  character  of 
the  Seminary,  and  upon  its  relations  to  the  Female  Boarding 
School  — has  there  been  a decline  of  piety  among  the  students — 
contemplated  changes — in  the  studies  required  for  admission — 
in  the  number  of  pupils — in  the  manner  of  support — in  the 
time  of  residence — in  the  curriculum  of  studies — class  of 
advanced  students  in  Theology— instruction  in  English  to  a 
selected  body  of  students  after  the  academic  course. 

‘ 8.  Native  Helpers. — Their  number — origin — education — 
employment — salaries — training  and  supervision — whether  too 
many  at  any  of  the  stations — whether  employed  and  paid  after 
they  are  superannuated  — whether  they  should  pay  their  rent. 

£ 9.  Modifications  in  the  Stations. — Oodooville  and  Matiepy, 
&c. — number  of  missionaries  required  for  the  mission — pecu- 
liarities of  the  Jaffna  field. 

‘ 10.  Restrictions  on  Correspondence. — Rule  of  the  mission — 
reasons  for  its  discontinuance. 

‘ 11.  Printing  Establishment. — Extent  of  it — work  done  — 
whether  this  establishment  and  the  one  at  Madras  are  both 
needed — is  the  English  department  needed — expediency  of 
continuing  to  print  a part  of  the  “ Morning  Star”  in  English — 
how  far  the  mission  is  responsible  for  the  contents  of  that  paper 
— how  far  for  the  printing  done  in  the  office — publishing  com- 
mittee— statement  concerning  the  depository — what  ought  to 
be  done  with  the  unsaleable  books  and  sheets  and  stationery  on 
hand — lias  the  existence  of  the  press  here  been  an  advantage  to 
the  mission. 

‘ 12.  Provision  for  Widows , Clnldren , and  Invalid  Mis- 
sionaries.— Is  it  desirable  that  any  additional  provision  should 
be  made. 

‘ 13.  Grants  of  the  American  Bible  and  Tract  Societies. 

‘ 14.  Visits  to  the  United  States. — Is  any  further  legislation 
needed — how  far  to  be  provided  for  from  the  mission  treasury — 
rules  for  preventing  unnecessary  cost  in  returning  home — health 
stations  connected  with  the  mission  — the  overland  passage. 


21 


‘ 15.  Salaries  of  Missionaries. 

‘16.  Medical  Establishment.  — Where  should  the  head- 
quarters of  the  mission  physician  be — what  are  his  duties— 
medical  practice  out  of  the  mission — presents — medical  class 
— should  their  instruction  be  in  the  vernacular  — general 
results. 

‘ 17.  Mission  Property. — Property  in  lands — in  dwelling 
houses,  &.c. — in  churches — how  far  the  government  have  a right 
in  the  property — tenure  on  which  the  property  is  held  — what  is 
being  done  to  improve  the  tenure — real  value  of  the  Dutch 
churches  and  parsonages  to  the  mission — buildings  at  Yarany 
— land  near  Manepy. 

‘ 18.  Government  Grants. — Grants  received,  and  how  ap- 
plied— whole  amount  received — implied  condition  of  the  grants 
— school  commission  at  the  seat  of  government — school  com- 
missioner and  his  visits — views  of  the  Prudential  Committee 
with  respect  to  government  grants  for  schools. 

‘ 19.  Estimates , Appropriations , and  Expenditures. — What 
the  estimates  should  contain — intent  of  the  appropriations — ■ 
whether  the  expenditures  should  be  restricted  to  the  specific 
objects — whether  balances  should  be  used  for  other  objects — 
whether  money  received  by  the  treasurer  from  every  source 
should  not  be  credited  in  his  accounts  with  the  treasurer  of  the 
Board — new  estimate  for  1856. 

‘ 20.  Houses. — Plan  and  cost  of  a house  for  missionary  resi- 
dence— station  and  rural  churches — houses  for  native  helpers — 
expediency  of  reducing  the  space  in  the  present  station 
churches. 

‘21.  Temporal  aid  from  missionary  funds  to  indigent  native 
Christians. — Ought  this  ever  to  be  given.’ 

These  subjects  were  assigned  by  the  meeting  to  the  follow- 
ing committees,  in  whose  appointment  we  had  no  agency. 
The  members  of  the  Deputation  neither  served  on  committees, 
nor  voted  on  the  reports,  but  reserved  to  themselves  and  to  the 
Prudential  Committee  the  adoption,  or  otherwise,  of  the  opinions 
and  recommendations  embodied  in  the  reports. 

‘ 1.  The  governing  object  in  missions  to  the  heathen,  assigned 
to  Messrs.  Howland,  Spaulding  and  Hastings. 

2.  Preaching. — Messrs.  Spaulding,  Lord,  and  Smith. 

3.  Native  Churches  and  Pastors. — Messrs.  Lord,  Meigs  and 
Howland. 

4.  Caste  and  Polygamy.  — Messrs.  Sanders,  Spaulding  and 

Green.  • 

5.  Station  Schools. — Messrs.  Meigs,  Burnell  and  Smith. 


22 


6.  Oodooville  Female  Boarding  School. — Messrs.  Hastings, 
Burnell  and  Spaulding. 

7.  Batticotta  Seminary.  — Messrs.  Smith,  Sanders  and 
Hastings. 

8.  Native  Assistants. — Messrs.  Sanders,  Howland,  and  Smith. 

9.  Modifications  of  Stations. — Messrs.  Lord  and  Spaulding. 

10  Restrictions  on  Correspondence.  — Messrs.  Burnell  and 

Meigs. 

11.  Printing  Establishment. — Messrs.  Howland,  Burnell  and 
Smith. 

12.  Grants  of  Bible  and  Tract  Societies. — Messrs.  Hastings, 
Spaulding  and  Burnell. 

13.  Provisions  for  Widows  and  Children. — Messrs.  Meigs 
and  Sanders. 

14.  Visits  to  the  United  States. — Messrs.  Green  and  Smith. 

15.  Salaries  of  Missionaries. — Messrs.  Burnell  and  Spaulding, 

16.  Medical  Establishment. — Messrs.  Hastings  and  Green. 

17.  Mission  Property. — Messrs.  Smith  and  Lord. 

18.  Government  Grants. — Messrs.  Spaulding  and  Sanders. 

19.  Estimates,  Appropriations,  and  Expenditures. — Messrs. 
Meigs,  and  Smith. 

20.  Houses. — Messrs.  Green  and  Smith. 

21.  Temporal  Aid  to  Indigent  Native  Converts. — Messrs. 
Sanders  and  Spaulding.’ 

The  reports  were  to  be  drawn  up  after  the  discussions,  that 
they  might  be  a fair  embodiment  of  the  opinions  of  the 
meeting. 

The  sessions  were  continued  during  twenty  days,  and  the 
Board  may  learn  precisely  from  the  printed  record  how  each 
successive  day  was  occupied. 

The  first  subject — the  governing  object  in  missions — went 
to  the  committee  on  the  second  day.  That  on  preaching  was 
committed  on  the  third  day.  The  third,  on  native  churches 
and  pastors,  was  discussed  during  the  third  day  and  nearly  all 
the  fourth,  and  then  went  to  its  committee.  The  subject  of 
caste  occupied  a part  of  the  fourth  and  most  of  the  fifth  and 
sixth  days.  The  subject  of  station  schools,  that  is,  of  common 
schools,  occupied  the  seventh  and  part  of  the  eighth  days. 
The  greater  part  of  the  eighth  and  ninth  days  were  given  to 
the  Oodooville  Female  Boarding  School.  The  Batticotta  Semi- 
nary did  not  come  under  consideration  till  the  ninth  day.  and 
was  continued  till  noon  of  the  following  day,  and  then  went  to 
its  committee. 

The  remaining  fourteen  subjects  occupied  a part  of  the  tenth 


day  and  the  next  four.  The  last  five  days  of  the  meeting 
were  devoted  to  hearing  the  reports  of  the  committees.  Several 
reports  were  recommitted,  and  most  were  more  or  less  amended, 
in  order  to  express  the  views  of  the  mission.  Great  unanimity 
and  the  best  Christian  feeling  prevailed  through  the  whole 
meeting.  While  it  is  not  supposed,  that  every  report  could  have 
been  rendered  exactly  in  accordance  with  the  views  of  every 
member  of  the  mission,  it  is  believed  that  all  made  the  nearest 
approximation  to  that  result  that  was  practicable ; and  it  was 
rare,  if  ever,  that  a hand  or  voice  was  raised  in  opposition  to 
the  final  adoption  of  any  one  of  them.  We  have  the  most 
confident  belief,  that  every  report  had  the  cordial  support  of  a 
decided  majority.  None  of  the  discussions  assumed  a contro- 
versial character ; unless  what  related  to  a feature  in  the  pro- 
posed management  of  caste  was  an  exception  ; but  that  subject, 
the  most  difficult  one  to  adjust,  at  length  took  a form  of  settle- 
ment, in  which  the  older  and  younger  brethren  agreed,  and 
where  the  older  subsequently  took  a very  satisfac&ry  lead  in 
conference  with ‘the  native  helpers. 

We  were  gratified  with  the  unanimity  of  our  brethren.  At 
the  same  time  it  was  evident,  that  the  chief  preparation  was 
wrought  in  their  minds  before  our  arrival.  It  was  the  result  of 
God’s  blessing  on  their  own  experience.  The  meeting  had  a 
highly  religious  character.  Nor  did  it  appear  so  to  ourselves 
alone.  A member  of  the  mission  wTrote  us  on  the  eve  of  our 
departure  as  follows: — “ Our  meetings  have  been  to  me  one  of 
the  greatest  privileges  in  my  life.  It  has  been  like  the  commun- 
ion of  saints,  and  I believe  in  the  end  we  shall  rejoice  over  the 
results  to  which  we  have  come.  I have  had  two  meetings 
with  my  assistants,  unfolding  to  them  our  future  plans.  They 
listen  with  intense  interest,  and  seem  to  appreciate  the  reasons 
for  the  changes  which  have  been  made.  The  more  I reflect 
upon  what  we  have  done,  the  more  I arn  constrained  to  believe 
that  we  have  been  led  by  the  Holy  Spirit.” 

We  early  took  occasion  to  assure  our  brethren  that  the 
powers  conferred  upon  us  were  to  aid , and  not  to  control , their 
operations,  and  this  made  our  relations  to  them  easy,  and  gave 
us  an  opportunity  for  much  social  enjoyment.  The  following 
resolution,  adopted  unanimously  at  the  close  of  the  meeting, 
was  the  more  prized  by  us,  as  we  had  no  doubt  that  it  cordially 
expressed  the  universal  feeling,  viz  : 

“ Resolved , That,  as  a mission,  and  as  individuals,  we  desire 
to  express  our  gratification  in  the  results  of  the  visit  of  the  Dep- 
utation of  the  American  Board.  While  we  have  highly  efijoyed 
their  society  as  Christian  brethren,  we  have  been  greatly  as- 
sisted by  their  friendly  counsels,  in  revising  our  plans  of  opera- 


24 


tion,  and  feel  that  we  have  been  strengthened  and  encouraged 
in  our  work  by  their  presence  and  aid.” 

The  Secretary  of  the  mission,  Mr.  Meigs,  after  recording  this 
resolution,  adds,  that  the  hymn  was  sung,  commencing,  “ Sweet 
the  time,  exceeding  sweet,”  “ as  an  appropriate  close  to  the 
meetings.” 

As  we  shall  have  occasion  to  quote  repeatedly  from  the  offi- 
cial letter  we  addressed  to  the  Ceylon  mission,  it  will  be  well 
to  say,  that  the  mission,  on  hearing  it  read,  kindly  appointed 
Mr.  Meigs  and  Mr.  Smith  a committee  to  suggest  to  us  some  cor- 
rections before  it  should  be  printed.  This  was  done,  and  the 
corrections  were  made.  Those  brethren  then  stated  what  was 
their  own  individual  impression,  under  date  of  June  22d. 

“Aside  from  these  points  specified,  the  statements  of  the 
letter  are,  we  believe,  substantially  correct,  and  will  receive  the 
cordial  ass^it  of  all  the  members  of  the  mission. 

'B.  C.  Meigs, 

J.  C.  Smith.” 

In  the  opening  paragraph  of  that  letter,  we  made  the  follow- 
ing statement  concerning  the  meeting  of  twenty  days  : “ Con- 
sidering the  number  and  importance  of  our  subjects,  and  the 
amount  of  change  involved  in  the  discussion,  it  calls  for  the 
profoundest  gratitude  to  God,  that  nothing  occurred  to  mar  in 
the  least  our  unity  of  feeling,  and  that  the  results  embodied  in 
your  twenty-one  reports  are  an  expression,  with  no  important 
exceptions  so  far  as  we  perceive,  of  your  unanimous  views  of 
what  will  advance  the  interests  of  our  mission  in  this  Province. 
We  came  hither,  as  you  know,  with  expectations  of  finding 
missionary  problems  hard  of  solution,  and  practical  views  among 
yourselves  of  missionary  policy  not  easily  harmonized.  In 
both  respects  we  have  been  most  happily  disappointed.  Our 
visit  to  you  was  evidently  at  the  right  time,  and  we  were  sent, 
as  we  humbly  believe,  of  the  Lord — sent  to  aid  you  at  a criti- 
cal juncture  ; and  we  have  had  occasion  to  act  only  as  auxilia- 
ries. At  the  opening  of  your  meeting  we  stated  indeed,  with 
all  possible  frankness,  what  appeared  to  us  to  be  the  actual  pos- 
ture and  relations  of  the  mission,  and  what  were  the  measures 
that  seemed  most  likely  to  be  advantageous  to  your  working 
system.  We  were  pleased  to  see,  as  the  meeting  advanced,  that 
most  of  the  changes  then  suggested  were  but  an  expression  of 
your  own  views  of  expediency  and  duty.  The  tendency  of 
your  minds,  under  the  pressure  of  experience,  was  all  in  the 
same  direction  with  our  own  ; and  when  the  facts  had  been 
properly  arranged,  so  as  to  bring  out  their  actual  relations  to 


25 


each  other — a thing  it  was  easy  to  do — no  protracted  or  earnest 
argumentation  was  found  to  be  needful.” 

Mr.  Meigs  was  appointed  by  his  brethren  to  wait  on  the 
English  Resident  or  Governor  of  the  Province,  and  explain  to 
him  the  proceedings  of  the  mission,  and  why  the  brethren 
thought  it  not  expedient  longer  to  receive  the  Government  grant 
of  £200.  Writing  to  one  of  us  on  the  2d  of  June,  Mr.  Meigs 
says,  “ Mr.  Dyke  (the  Resident)  was  very  kind,  and  seems  much 
interested  in  our  movements.  He  thinks  that  Government 
should  establish  a high  school  or  college  at  Jaffna,  set  a layman 
of  high  qualifications  over  it  with  a high  salary,  and  that  all 
who  receive  an  education  there  should  be  made  to  pay  hand- 
somely for  it  ; also,  that  Government  should  establish  vernacu- 
lar schools  in  every  village  through  the  Province,  and  make  the 
natives  pay  for  them  by  taxation.” 

V. 

REPORTS  AND  LETTERS. 

We  would  say  of  the  eighty-seven  reports  of  the  missions, 
which  emanated  from  the  different  meetings,  that  the  missions 
are  responsible  for  them.  The  object  of  the  reports  was  not 
to  lay  the  foundations  for  debate,  but  simply  to  embody  the 
results  of  previous  discussions.  The  committees  were  not  to 
make  out  a case  of  their  own,  but  merely  to  record  faithfully 
the  facts  and  opinions  of  their  several  missions.  Hence  the 
reports  are  not  largely  argumentative,  but  generally  mere  state- 
ments. There  was  not  time  for  elaboration,  but  they  appeared 
to  us  remarkably  successful  as  to  the  object  they  had  in  view. 
Minor  inaccuracies  were  unavoidable,  from  the  brief  time 
allowed  for  their  production,  but  we  know  of  none  materially 
affecting  their  value. 

Our  own  letters  to  the  missions,  which  follow  the  reports, 
and  are  a sort  of  commentary  upon  them,  are  a brief  embodi- 
ment of  our  own  experience  and  views  on  some  of  the  more 
important  of  these  subjects,  growing  out  of  our  personal  inter- 
course with  missions  and  missionaries,  and  a protracted  and 
intimate  correspondence  with  a score  or  more  of  missionaries, 
including  those  which  originated  these  reports.  The  circum- 
stances in  which  the  letters  were  written,  will  bespeak  the 
candor  of  the  Board  for  apparent  carelessness  in  the  form  of 
expression  ; but  the  opinions,  which  are  freely  expressed,  are 
cheerfully  submitted  to  whatever  scrutiny  they  may  be  thought 
to  deserve.  It  will  be  seen  that  they  have  one  great  object  in 
view,  namely,  that  of  promoting  the  preaching  op  the 
Gospel  with  a view  to  the  conversion  of  the  existing 
3 


26 


GENERATION  OF  HEATHENS,  THE  GATHERING  OF  THE  CONVERTS 
INTO  CHURCHES,  AND  THE  ORDAINING  OF  NATIVE  PASTORS  OVER 

the  churches  ; more  especially  in  the  rural  districts  of 
India.  To  this  we  were  brought  by  observations  and  discus- 
sions in  the  Bombay  Presidency,  to  which  our  steps  were  first 
providentially  conducted.  This  was  also,  and  necessarily,  the 
almost  engrossing  topic  in  the  Madura  meeting.  And  it  was 
to  this,  in  the  Ceylon  mission,  that  the  attention  of  all  was 
mainly  turned,  in  the  twenty  days  of  the  meeting  of  that 
mission. 


VI. 

GENERAL  VIEW  OF  THE  CHANGES  DESCRIBED  IN  THE  REPORTS 
OF  THE  MISSIONS. 

So  voluminous  are  the  reports  of  the  missions,  that  we  will 
endeavor  to  give  a concise  description  of  the  course  of  events 
in  our  older  India  missions,  for  some  eight  or  ten  years  past,  as 
it  may  be  gathered  from  those  reports. 

Great  Cities  and  Rural  Districts. 

A distinction  should  be  made  between  the  great  cities  of 
India,  and  the  rural  districts.  If  we  would  gain  access  for  the 
gospel  to  the  inhabitants  of  such  cities  as  Bombay,  Madras  and 
Calcutta,  and  especially  to  the  higher  classes,  it  may  be  that 
measures  must  be  adopted  there,  which  are  neither  necessary 
nor  expedient  in  the  rural  districts,  especially  for  the  masses  of 
the  people.  The  best  method  of  conducting  missions  in  such 
cities,  is  still  subject  to  costly  experiments,  which  have  not  as 
yet  had  lime  enough  for  testing  their  results.  There  are  pecu- 
liar circumstances  in  them,  which  will  more  or  less  control  our 
plans  and  movements.  The  question  of  chief  difficulty  in 
respect  to  Madras , is,  whether  it  will  be  expedient  for  the 
Board  to  retain  its  present  mission.  In  case  it  should  do  so,  it 
is  a fact  of  importance,  resulting  from  the  comparative  isolation 
of  this  city,  that  the  plans  there  pursued  will  not  probably 
have  the  effect  to  interfere  with  the  working  of  the  Arcot  and 
Madura  missions.  But  it  is  thought  to  be  otherwise  with 
Bombay.  The  most  difficult  question  is,  how  to  prosecute  the 
Bombay  mission  so  as  not  to  draw  down  the  more  enterprising 
converts  from  the  interior  villages  to  the  metropolis,  from 
whence  few  of  them  would  ever  return. 

Nature  of  the  Field. 

The  great  districts  of  Western  and  Southern  India,  now 
open  to  us,  and  the  district  of  Jaffna  in  Ceylon,  contain  thou- 


27 


sands  of  villages ; and  the  grand  topic  of  interest  in  the  meet- 
ings of  onr  brethren  which  we  attended,  was  the  planting  of 
the  gospel  in  these  villages.  The  whole  form  together  a noble 
field,  made  ready  by  divine  Providence  for  all  the  labors  we 
have  to  bestow  ; and  onr  success  hitherto,  in  the  conversion  of 
souls,  has  been  chiefly  among  these  rural  people. 

Aim  of  the  Deputation. 

Our  own  efforts,  as  a Deputation,  went  mainly  to  encourage 
our  brethren  to  carry  the  gospel  into  the  villages,  and  in  such  a 
way  that  its  institutions  may  speedily  take  root  in  them  ; — 
preaching  it  especially  to  the  poor  Mahars  and  Pariahs,  who 
are  most  ready  to  hear,  and  with  the  expectation  of  convert- 
ing adults,  as  well  as  the  youth  ; and  when  the  converts 
are  sufficiently  numerous,  to  gather  them  into  such  churches 
as  the  missionaries  themselves  shall  deem  most  accordant 
with  the  New  Testament  model  for  mission  churches ; to 
ordain  native  pastors  as  soon  as  possible,  and  to  throw  upon  the 
native  churches  the  chief  responsibility  for  the  education  of 
their  own  children  ; — the  missionaries  themselves,  as  long  as 
pecuniary  aid  is  required,  standing  in  the  relation  of  counsel- 
lors and  guides;  taking  earnest  heed,  meanwhile,  that  their 
own  labors  among  the  surrounding  heathen  lose  none  of  their 
aggressive  character,  and  that  the  native  Christians  be  trained 
to  give  their  hearty  co-operation.  Indeed,  we  dwelt  much  on 
the  importance  of  that  noble  determination,  which  the  Apostle 
Paul  says  he  came  to  on  his  way  from  Athens  to  Corinth,  “not 
to  know  anything”  in  their  labors,  “ save  Jesus  Christ  and 
him  crucified;”  preaching  “ not  with  enticing  words  of  man’s 
wisdom,  lest  the  cross  of  Christ  should  be  made  of  none  effect,” 
“but  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power;”  that  the 
“ faith  ” of  their  converts  “should  not  stand  in  the  wisdom  of 
men,  but  in  the  power  of  God  ”;  with  the  deep,  practical  con- 
viction, that  “neither  is  he  that  plantetli  any  thing,  neither  he 
that  walereth,  but  God  that  giveth  the  increase.” 

Such,  Fathers  and  Brethren,  was  our  grand  aim,  all  the 
while  we  were  in  India;  and  such,  we  believe,  is  the  grand 
aim  of  our  respected  brethren  in  the  missions. 

The  Changes  similar  in  each  of  the  Missions. 

1.  The  Ahtnednuggur,  Madura,  and  Ceylon  missions  were 
alike  in  their  beginning.  They  were  so  in  respect  to  schools. 
At  the  outset,  schools  for  heathen  children,  taught  by  heathen 
masters,  were  a prominent  feature  in  them  all  ; though  there 
was  also  much  preaching.  The  number  of  pupils  in  the  Mah- 
ratta  missions  rose  at  one  time  to  two  thousand ; in  the  Madura, 


28 


to  four  thousand  ; in  the  Ceylon,  to  six  thousand  ; and  there 
were  select  schools  and  boarding  schools.  But  a period  of 
decline  always  comes  to  such  schools.  This  does  not  necessa- 
rily indicate  a decline  in  the  missions  ; it  may  result  from 
progress.  Other  instrumentalities  come  into  use.  The  heathen 
schoolmaster  is  a questionable  agent  for  inculcating  gospel 
truth,  and  it  comes  to  pass  that  the  money  can  be  better 
employed  than  in  his  support.  Our  brethren  in  the  Mahratta 
missions  declared  that  they  were  unable  to  point  to  a single 
case  of  conversion  among  the  ten  thousand  pupils,  who  had 
been  thus  instructed  in  their  missions.  Our  brethren  in  Ceylon 
could  recollect  only  about  thirty  conversions  among  the  thirty 
thousand  children,  who  had  been  in  their  common  schools. 
Looking  at  the  whole  working  of  the  schools,  we  were  led  to 
say  in  our  letter  to  the  Mahratta  missions,  “ Schools,  regarded 
as  converting  instrumentalities,  have  almost  wholly  disappointed 
us;  regarded  as  preparatory  means,  they  have  not  answered 
expectation;  and  as  auxiliaries,  they  have  been  expensive.” 
We  added,  “ Where  there  are  competent  Christian  teachers, 
and  funds  to  spare  for  the  purpose,  it  is  well  to  have  schools  m 
heathen  villages.  In  general,  however,  and  more  as  missions 
succeed,  the  funds  to  be  appropriated  to  such  purposes  will 
little  more  than  suffice  for  aiding  the  native  Christians  in  edu- 
cating their  own  children,  and  for  educating  catechists  and 
preachers.”  'The  gradual  increase  in  the  value  of  labor  has 
had  a depreciating  influence  on  the  common  schools.  This  is 
affirmed  in  one  of  the  Ceylon  reports  drawn  up  by  Mr.  Meigs. 
“ These  schools,”  he  says,  “are  not  as  valuable  as  they  were 
formerly;  principally  because  the  children  do  not  remain  so 
long  in  the  school,  as  they  were  accsutomed  to  do  many  years 
ago.  This  is  owing  to  the  fact,  that  their  parents  demand 
their  services  in  their  fields  and  gardens  at  an  earlier  age. 
Hence  we  have  a succession  of  little  children  in  our  schools, 
who  cannot,  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  be  expected  to  re- 
ceive as  much  benefit  as  those  who  are  older.”  And  he  states 
this  as  one  of  the  reasons  why  it  was  “ believed  to  be  wise  and 
necessary,”  last  year,  “ to  revise  and  remodel  the  whole  system 
of  station  schools”  in  that  mission. 

2.  We  see  in  the  missions,  in  the  early  stages,  the  same  ten- 
dency to  what  may  be  called  centralization  in  missions.  The 
tendency  to  this  is  then  almost  irresistible.  The  missionary’s 
district  embraces  numerous  villages.  His  place  of  abode,  or 
his  ‘station,’  is  the  central  point.  The  schools,  congregations, 
church-members,  native  helpers,  every  thing  tends  towards  this 
centre.  The  printing  press,  boarding  school,  ‘ English  school,’ 
‘compound,’  if  they  exist  at  all,  are  there,  and  they  are  all 


29 


centralizing  influences.  In  Ceylon , the  roofless  walls  of  the 
great  Dutch  churches  were  repaired  and  covered,  and  thither 
the  tribes  went  up  from  all  the  adjacent  villages.  There  were 
schools,  indeed,  in  the  villages,  and  the  missionary  and  his 
helpers  preached  the  gospel  everywhere  ; but  the  congregation, 
the  only  organized  church,  the  only  pastor,  were  at  the  station. 
So  it  was  in  the  Madura  mission,  prior  to  the  year  1845. 
Commodious  houses  of  worship,  erected  at  four  or  five  of  the 
stations,  were  filled  every  Sabbath,  chiefly  by  the  children  of 
the  station  boarding-school,  who  were  drawn  from  the  villages, 
and  by  the  schools  taught  by  heathen  masters  near  enough  to 
attend.  The  case,  as  illustrated  by  experience,  was  thus  stated 
in  our  letter  to  the  Mahratta  missions. 

“ At  the  outset  of  a mission,  if  we  employ  no  heathen  mas- 
ters, we  can  have  no  common  schools  ; and  much  has  been 
said  of  the  importance  of  such  schools  in  the  first  years  of  a 
mission,  as  a means  of  obtaining  congregations.  Time  was, 
as  the  history  of  our  appropriations  shows  abundantly,  when 
we  admitted  this  plea  ; and  we  well  know  that  there  are  intel- 
ligent and  respected  missionaries,  who  would  now  have  such 
schools.  I3ut  the  large  experience  of  the  Board  disapproves  of 
the  practice.  We  would  by  no  means  pronounce  such  schools 
useless  ; but  they  are  in  a degree  delusive,  both  to  the  mission- 
ary and  to  his  supporters.  The  size  of  the  congregation,  thus 
constituted,  is  no  index  of  the  real  interest  in  the  preaching  ; 
and  experience  has  painfully  demonstrated,  that  this  is  not  the 
best  way  of  obtaining  a permanent  and  valuable  congregation, 
nor  converts  and  churches.  The  school  is  not  a good  nucleus. 
The  common  school  with  a heathen  master,  (and  even  with  a 
Christian  master,)  has  not  been  a productive  instrument  of  con- 
version. Such  a congregation  as  the  missionary  needs,  and  as 
will  prove  an  effective  nucleus,  is  the  result  of  a gradual  pro- 
cess, and  much  preaching  and  painstaking  by  the  missionary. 
One  and  another,  and  yet  another,  are  added  to  the  congregation, 
and  these  draw  others,  until  there  is  a sufficient  number  of 
converted  persons,  through  God’s  grace,  to  be  formed  into  a 
church.  The  church  is  in  fact  the  only  effective  nucleus  ; nor 
will  its  greatest  attractive  power  be  attained  till  it  has  its  pastor 
and  deacons.” 

In  the  Ahmednuggur  mission  an  inroad  was  made  on  the 
centralizing  influences  in  the  year  1851  ; but  owing  to  peculiar 
hinderances  which  existed  to  establishing  village  stations  in  that 
mission,  some  of  them  remained  down  to  the  time  of  our  visit. 
We  found  an  institution  here,  which  had  grown  up  insensibly, 
and  was  comparatively  new  to  us,  as  it  will  no  doubt  he  to  the. 

Board.  It  was  the  1 Mission  Compound,’  as  the  enclosed, 

* 


30 


ground  around  the  mission-house  is  called.  This,  or  rather 
the  uses  to  which  that  inclosure  is  applied,  regarded  as  an  insti- 
tution, awakened  much  concern  in  us  from  the  great  attractive 
power  it  seemed  to  possess.  A census  of  the  three  compounds 
in  the  city  of  Ahmednuggur,  gave  35  native  families,  and  163 
persons,  old  and  young,  generally  from  the  villages;  besides  13 
families  and  53  persons  sustained  by  rendering  service  in  the 
mission  families, — all  having  their  cottages  rent  free,  with  the 
immunities  and  privileges  afforded  by  the  mission  premises. 
This  presented  itself  to  us  as  a refuge,  an  asylum,  with  a strong- 
ly attractive  influence,  in  proportion  to  the  general  diffusion  of 
extreme  poverty  among  the  converts  in  the  country  villages. 
To  us  it  seemed  to  be  entering  largely  into  the  general  system 
of  operations,  and  to  be  incompatible  with  any  great  extension 
of  the  mission.  Its  centralizing  influence,  drawing  native  con- 
verts from  the  villages  ; its  deceptive  influence,  giving  to  the 
centres  an  appearance  of  prosperity  and  strength,  which  they 
had  not  in  fact  ; its  nature  as  an  asylum,  fostering  the  feeling 
of  dependence  in  the  native  mind,  and  weakening  the  mission 
in  all  it  departments  and  ramifications, — were  most  freely  dis- 
cussed in  the  protracted  meeting  held  at  Ahmednuggur,  and  a 
way  was  provided  for  the  gradual  removal  of  the  evil.  The 
mission  church  at  Ahmednuggur  contained  128  members,  the 
greater  part  really  belonging  to  the  villages. 

3.  It  is  interesting  to  see  the  changes  that  have  been  and 
are  in  progress.  We  believe  that  the  first  mention  made  to 
this  Board  of  what  are  now  called  ‘Village  Congregations’  and 
‘Village  Schools,’  in  the  Madina  mission,  was  in  the  year 
1846.  The  village  congregations  were  commenced  at  least 
ten  years  ago.  The  system  of  village  operations  was  then 
begun,  which  now  numbers  five  hundred  church  members, 
three  thousand  adults,  and  two  thousand  children  ; and  it  is 
the  one  to  which  it  was. the  leading  object  of  the  mission  in 
their  meeting  of  sixteen  days,  and  of  ourselves  as  auxiliaries,  to 
impart  a more  vigorous  life.  This  village  system  is  the  con- 
verse of  the  station  or  centralizing  system.  The  latter  was 
well  at  the  outset,  the  former  is  the  result  of  progress.  To  a 
visitor,  the  Madura  mission  would  not  be  as  good  for  an  exhi- 
bition now,  as  it  was  twelve  years  ago.  The  Sabbath  congre- 
gations are  smaller  at  the  station,  nor  can  there  be  such  an 
array  of  schools  at  any  one  place.  The  leaven  is  more  effec- 
tive, because  it  is  pervading  the  lump. 

That  mission  has  an  admirable  field,  and  is  and  has  been 
moving  on  in  the  right  direction.  Yet  it  seemed  to  ns  that  the 
time  had  come  for  carrying  out  its  system  of  village  schools  some- 
what more  perfectly.  These,  regarded  as  a whole,  appeared  to  be 


deficient  in  vital  energy.  The  average  number  of  nominally 
Christian  pupils  in  each  of  the  seventy-six  schools,  was  only 
about  eight.  It  seemed  desirable  that  still  further  innovations 
should  be  made  upon  the  old  plan. 

It  was  arranged  by  the  mission,  that  the  Seminary  at  Pasu- 
malie,  instead  of  one  and  the  same  course  of  study  for  all  the 
students,  preparing  them  mainly  for  one  kind  of  service,  should 
have  a diversity  of  studies,  adapted  to  different  classes  of  per- 
sons ; as,  1st,  for  young  men  of  promise  and  piety,  between  the 
ages  of  fifteen  and  twenty-five,  a course  purely  Tamil,  of  from 
two  to  four  years,  to  prepare  them  for  schoolmasters,  catechists, 
and  eventually  in  some  cases  for  pastors  ; 2dly,  for  the  better  im- 
provement of  some  now  employed  as  catechists,  who  have 
developed  a talent  for  preaching  and  pastoral  duties,  and  who 
would  be  greatly  benefited  by  a longer  or  shorter  connection 
with  the  Seminary  ; and  3dly,  for  those  whose  talents,  piety 
and  circumstances  indicated  the  propriety  of  a more  extended 
education.  In  this  higher  class,  the  English  language  was  to 
be  one  of  the  studies. 

Of  the  Boarding-Schools  for  small  boys , one  of  which  for- 
merly existed,  we  believe,  at  each  of  the  stations,  four  were 
remaining  in  this  mission.  The  existence  of  these  was  deemed 
incompatible  with  the  highest  prosperity  of  the  village  system 
of  schools  and  congregations,  and  just  in  proportion  as  the 
former  should  be  carried  on  with  discrimination  and  vigor. 
The  interests  of  the  village  schools  and  congregations  demand- 
ed, that  the  boys  remain  longer  at  home  than  the  boarding- 
school  system  allowed.  The  most  promising  lads  would 
naturally  be  drawn  to  the  higher  institutions  ; including  the 
children  of  parents  on  whom  the  village  would  most  depend 
for  building  school-houses,  and  for  example  and  influence. 
Catechists  would  send  their  sons  and  wards  to  the  boarding- 
schools  ; and  we  found  eight  from  this  one  source  in  one  of 
the  schools.  The  best  families  would  send  their  brightest 
sons.  The  best  villages,  parting  with  only  a few  boys,  would 
lose  their  strongest  motives  for  giving  vigor  to  home  education. 
We  heard  of  one  such  school  broken  up  by  the  withdrawal  of 
four  of  its  best  pupils.  In  the  infancy  of  the  village  system, 
when  struggling  for  existence,  it  was  unwise  for  a hundred 
boys  to  be  withdrawn,  and  their  parents  relieved  from  the  care 
and  cost  of  their  education. 

The  mission  arranged  that  the  four  station  boarding-schools 
should  be  merged  into  two  at  the  end  of  the  year,  the  two  into 
one  at  the  close  of  1S56,  and  that  one  to  be  discontinued  at 
the  end  of  the  year  1857. 

But  that  which  was  most  essential  to  the  highest  practical 


development  of  the  system,  was  the  village  church  and  the 
village  pastor.  The  mission  had  already  made  a beginning  in 
respect  to  the  former  of  these,  before  our  arrival  ; having 
organized  a church  in  the  promising  village  of  Mallankineru. 
We  had  the  unspeakable  happiness,  a year  ago,  to  assist  in 
ordaining  the  native  pastor  for  that  church,  and  the  first  native 
pastor  in  the  mission. 

4.  The  Prudential  Committee  resolved,  in  the  year  1851,  to 
withhold  appropriations  from  heathen  schools  in  the  Ahmed- 
nuggur  mission,  taught  by  heathen  masters  ; except  in  exist- 
ing cases  of  rare  peculiarity.  They  also  voted  to  relinquish 
the  Seminary  at  Ahrnednuggur,  as  no  longer  answering  the  pur- 
pose for  which  it  was  instituted  ; though  with  the  expectation 
that  it  would  be  revived  one  day  in  an  improved  form.  We 
did  not  find  the  mission  prepared  to  recommend  the  forming  of 
a new  seminary  at  present,  the  existing  necessities  being  suf- 
ficiently met  by  schools  now  at  Ahrnednuggur,  and  by  a class 
in  theology  taught  by  Mr.  Baliantine,  embracing  English 
studies  to  some  extent.  The  views  of  the  mission  on  the 
education  to  be  given  to  the  native  ministry,  embodied  in  their 
report  on  native  churches  and  pastors,  are  well  deserving  of  the 
careful  attention  of  the  Board. 

“ The  education  of  native  pastors , should  be  according  to 
their  talents  and  the  field  of  labor  which  they  are  expected 
to  occupy.  It  will  be  well,  in  many  instances,  for  pastors 
of  churches  in  the  cities,  or  in  important  places,  to  have  such 
a knowledge  of  English  as  to  be  able  to  consult  English 
commentaries  and  other  English  books.  They  should  also 
have  some  knowledge  of  English  science.  In  our  large  cities 
there  are  many  intelligent  natives  well  acquainted  with  English 
science,  and  familiar  with  English  works  on  various  subjects, 
and  it  is  important  that  our  native  pastors  in  these  places  should 
be  prepared  to  stand  on  an  equality  with  this  portion  of  the 
community,  and  be  able  to  meet  those  among  them  who  are 
deists,  or  infidels.  It  is  desirable,  also,  that  they  should  have 
a knowledge  of  the  Sanscrit  language,  that  they  may  be  pre- 
pared to  answer  the  learned  Brahmin  who  opposes  Christianity, 
and  be  able  to  show  him,  from  his  own  sacred  books,  the 
absurdities  of  Hindooism,  and  the  correctness  of  the  principles 
of  Christian  truth.  The  number  of  pastors,  who  need  such 
extended  preparation  for  their  work,  will  of  course  be  compara- 
tively small.  Persons  who  are  to  be  pastors  of  churches  in 
country  places,  composed  of  members  comparatively  ignorant, 
do  not  need  a knowledge  of  English  science  or  of  the  English 
language.  They  should  have  a good  knowledge  of  their  ver- 
nacular, and  should  be  prepared  to  explain  the  truths  of  the 


33 


word  of  God  in  a satisfactory  manner.  Their  education  should 
have  particular  reference  to  this  matter.  Persons  who  are  well 
acquainted  with  the  Scriptures,  who  understand  the  great  doc- 
trines of  the  Bible  and  are  apt  to  teach,  without  any  other 
literary  qualifications,  may,  we  think,  be  ordained  as  pastors 
over  native  churches  formed  in  the  villages,  and  may  be 
expected  to  prove  good  soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ.  Between  these 
two  extremes,  there  will  be  various  grades  of  qualification,  and 
each  pastor  should  be  placed  over  the  church  for  which  he  is 
especially  adapted  by  his  talents  and  character.” 

The  thing  specially  needed  in  the  Ahmednuggur  mission 
was,  the  actual  commencement  of  village  stations,  and  of  vil- 
lage churches  and  congregations,  with  village  pastors.  One  of 
the  providential  results  of  our  visit  was  to  arrange  a plan  on 
which  rural  stations  might  be  sustained.  The  native  roads  are 
nearly  impracticable  in  the  rains,  from  their  bridgeless  torrents 
and  deep  mud  ; and  that  being  the  season  for  acute  diseases, 
families  have  scrupled  to  settle  where  medical  and  friendly 
succor,  in  times  of  sickness,  would  be  so  difficult  of  access. 
The  progress  of  English  roads,  especially  railroads,  will  ulti- 
mately destroy  the  force  of  this  objection.  It  was  obvious  to 
us,  in  our  visit  to  the  great  valley  of  the  Godavery,  that  there 
was  weight  in  the  objection  ; and  it  was  arranged  that  the 
missionary  occupying  the  rural  station  should  have  the  option 
of  retiring  to  a central  post  during  the  rains.  At  other  times, 
and  during  three-fourths  of  the  year,  it  is  at  least  as  healthy  in 
the  country  as  in  the  city  ; and  with  houses  adapted  to  the  hot 
season,  the  country  is  to  be  preferred.  Such  houses,  of  one 
story,  with  thatched  roofs,  to  cost  not  more  than  a thousand 
dollars,  it  is  proposed  to  build  ; with  the  understanding  that, 
when  the  time  comes  for  the  missionary  to  remove  to  another 
post,  the  windows  and  wood-work,  valued  at  one-fourth  the 
, original  cost  of  the  house,  will  go  to  complete  the  dwelling  for 
the  new  station. 

We  assisted  in  the  ordination  of  the  two  first  native  pas- 
tors in  the  Mahratta  missions,  and  in  the  organization  of  a 
native  church.  A village  church,  some  forty  miles  from  Ah- 
meduuggur,  was  formed  not  long  after  our  departure  ; and 
arrangements  were  made  for  a temporary  village  station.  We 
see  nothing  in  the  way  of  an  indefinite  progress  and  enlarge- 
ment in  this  field,  of  which  there  are  already  encouraging 
indications. 

On  reaching  Bombay , we  heard  with  concern  of  the  recent 
departure  of  Mr.  Hume  on  his  return  to  America,  as  the  only, 
and  as  it  proved  ineffectual,  means  of  preserving  his  valued 
life.  This  painful  event  had  the  effect  to  transfer  the  place 


34 


of  the  general  meeting  of  missionaries  to  Ahmednuggur,  one 
hundred  and  seventy  miles  in  the  interior. 

It  was  arranged  to  apply  a legacy  of  $ 3,750 , given  years  ago 
for  chapel-building  in  Bombay,  to  the  erection  of  a new  and 
more  commodious  house  of  worship,  on  an  eligible  site  already 
owned  by  the  Board  ; with  a chaudi , or  zayat  in  front,  to  be 
frequently  opened  for  informal  preaching  during  the  week. 
Chaudts  were  also  to  be  opened  in  different  parts  of  the  city,  to 
be  visited  by  members  of  the  mission.  The  old  chapel  was  to 
be  left  for  the  use  of  the  printing  establishment  ; and  the  upper 
part  or  present  chapel,  with  some  modification,  will  serve  for  a 
High  school,  whenever  it  may  seem  best  to  sustain  one. 

Without  going  into  the  question,  what  sort  of  a High  school 
is  expedient  for  the  Bombay  mission,  in  its  future  prosecution, 
the  mission  and  Deputation  were  clear  in  the  opinion  that  it 
was  not  advisable  to  continue  the  English  High  School  then 
existing,  beyond  its  first  year.  The  reasons  against  continuing 
it  were  well  set  forth  by  the  general  meeting  at  Ahmednuggur. 
We  should  add  to  them  the  strongly  attractive  influence  such 
an  institution  conducted  by  ourselves  in  that  great  commercial 
city, — stronger  than  if  conducted  by  others, — would  exert  on 
the  young  converts  in  our  missions  of  the  Deccan,  drawing 
them  thither,  with  little  prospect  that  many  of  them  would 
ever  return  ; thus  creating  a demand  for  similar  institutions  in 
Ahmednuggur  and  Satara,  and  perhaps  even  in  Kolapur.  The 
reasons  stated  by  the  general  meeting  were  as  follows  : 

“ What  would  be  expedient  and  highly  desirable,  viewed  only 
in  reference  to  a particular  station,  may  be  inexpedient  on  the 
whole.  The  following  considerations  seem  to  us  to  weigh 
against  the  present  High  School  at  Bombay,  and  to  render  it 
undesirable  that  it  should  be  continued  on  its  present  basis. 

“ 1.  The  English  language  is  made  to  too  great  an  extent 
(he  medium  of  communicating  instruction.  Bast  experience 
has  seemed  to  show  that  such  schools  are  not  the  most  efficient 
instruments  in  forwarding  the  great  work  of  missions,  that  of 
making  known  the  gospel  to  the  heathen  and  saving  souls. 
The  vernacular  of  any  people  is  believed  to  be  the  most  suit- 
able language  in  which  to  communicate  truth,  and  through 
which  to  affect  the  heart.  Schools  in  which  the  vernacular  is 
the  grand  medium  of  instruction,  and  the  English  if  introduced 
is  only  taught  as  a classic,  seem  to  be  founded  on  the  best  basis 
and  to  promise  and  produce  the  best  results. 

“ 2.  The  expense  of  such  a school  as  that  at  Bombay  is  an 
objection  to  continuing  it.  It  must  be  able  to  compete  with 
other  schools  of  a similar  character  at  Bombay,  or  it  cannot  be 
successfully  maintained.  To  do  this,  it  must  have  those  advan- 


35 


tages  and  appurtenances  which  money  alone  can  procure.  It 
does  not  appear  that  the  present  expense  can  be  essentially 
reduced  consistently  with  making  the  school  what  it  should  be 
in  order  to  answer  the  ends  for  which  it  was  established. 

“ The  funds  of  the  Board  are  limited  ; they  are  not  sufficient 
to  carry  forward  all  operations  that  would  seem  desirable  or 
highly  useful.  There  must  consequently  be  a choice  of  fields,  and 
in  each  field  a choice  of  means.  If  there  are  two  kinds  of  labor 
which  promise  equally  well  in  all  other  respects,  the  selection 
must  be  made  with  a reference  to  economy.  It  is  known  that 
such  High  schools  are  among  the  most  expensive  operations 
undertaken  by  mission  Boards.  And  with  the  present  amount 
of  funds  and  a choice  of  the  means  to  be  employed,  it  does  not 
appear  that  a due  regard  to  economy  would  warrant  the  neces- 
sary expenditure  for  sustaining  such  a school  at  Bombay. 

“ 3.  The  influence  of  such  schools  on  other  mission  fields  is 
undesirable.  If  the  High  school  at  Bombay  is  continued,  there 
are  other  missions  of  the  Board  which  will  feel  that  they  have 
equal  claims  to  be  allowed  such  an  institution.  It  will  be 
impossible  to  convince  them  that  there  are  good  reasons  for 
allowing  such  a school  in  one  large  city  and  not  in  another. 
Thus  the  decision  in  respect  to  the  institution  involves  practi- 
cally a decision  in  respect  to  several  other  places  where  the 
same  want  exists.  It  becomes  in  fact  a question  of  mission 
policy.  Shall  a large  part  of  the  funds  be  appropriated  to  main- 
tain these  expensive  English  schools  in  the  different  fields 
occupied  by  the  Board  ? The  question  is  not  one  on  which 
there  is  no  experience  to  guide  us.  The  experiment  has  been 
tried  elsewhere  under  the  most  favorable  auspices,  and  the 
results,  if  not  actually  disastrous,  have  at  least  proved  unsatis- 
factory. The  system  seems  to  be  a forced,  artificial  one,  and 
produces  artificial  fruits.  In  view  of  these  facts  it  does  not 
seem  desirable  to  marke  it  a part  of  our  mission  policy,  and  we 
think  the  institution  at  Bombay  should  not  be  made  an  excep- 
tion to  the  general  policy  of  the  mission.” 

5.  The  changes  in  the  Ceylon  mission  have  been  of  the 
same  nature  with  those  in  the  other  missions,  and  greater  only 
because  longer  deferred.  In  point  of  fact,  the  Ceylon  mission 
has  followed  one  track  for  the  space  of  almost  forty  years. 
This  has  been  partly  owing  to  the  peculiar  difficulty  of 
missionary  culture  in  that  field  ; and  one  grand  cause  of  this 
peculiarity  has  been  thus  described  by  our  lamented  brother 
Poor.  “ After  an  external  pressure,”  he  says,  “ weighing  the 
people  down  for  ages  and  drying  up  their  spirits,  was  removed  by 
their  being  brought  under  British  rule,  they  believed  not  for  joy 
that  they  were  once  more  allowed  to  taste  the  sweets  of  idol- 


36 


atrous  liberty.  But  on  finding  that  it  was  even  so,  there  was 
a mighty  rush  from  a nominal  Christianity  to  the  all-absorbing 
system  of  Hindoo  idolatry  ; and  they  entered  on  a course  of 
temple-building  and  adornment,  wholly  unparalleled  in  the 
annals  of  the  Province,  and  which  is  in  vigorous  progress  at  the 
present  time.  Such  was  the  state  of  things  on  our  arrival  in 
the  year  1816.” — The  high-caste  population  of  Jaffna  have 
been  less  easily  operated  upon,  than  the  people  on  the  adjacent 
continent  ; and  the  evil  has  been  greatly  enhanced  by  a singu- 
larity in  the  social  state — the  landed  property  being  held  and 
conveyed  almost  solely  for  marriage  dowries  to  the  daughters. 
But  so  long  a persistence  in  one  course  would  scarcely  have 
been  possible,  had  it  not  pleased  God  to  spare  the  venerable 
founders  of  the  mission,  and  to  endow  them  with  those  qual- 
ities of  mind  and  character  which  give  influence  to  the  posses- 
sor. Well  is  it  for  the  church,  that  men  advanced  in  years  are 
usually  averse  to  changes  in  their  own  long  cherished  habits  of 
labor.  Such,  however,  has  been  the  spirit  of  this  mission,  that 
no  disturbance  in  its  social  harmony  has  occurred  between  its 
founders  and  those  to  whom,  as  Dr.  Poor  remarks,  they  are  so 
soon  to  leave  the  work  in  charge.  Our  visit  was  evidently 
seasonable  ; and  we  may  here  be  allowed  to  quote  a few  sen- 
tences from  a letter  of  a member  of  the  mission,  dated  August 
20,  which  we  have  seen  recently  published.  “Cholera  and 
small-pox  ceased  raging  so  suddenly,”  says  the  writer,  “ about 
the  time  of  the  arrival  of  the  Deputation  in  Jaffna,  that  we 
could  not  but  regard  it  as  a special  providence  in  their  favor. 
From  the  first  of  April  to  the  first  of  June,  our  time  and  atten- 
tion as  a mission  were  wholly  occupied  with  them.  We 
enjoyed  their  visit  exceedingly.  Great  changes  were  made  by  * 
the  mission,  after  long  and  prayerful  consultation  with  the 
Deputation.  The  need  of  important  changes  had  been  long  felt  ; 
but  no  measures  had  hitherto  been  devised,  in  which  there  was 
unanimity  among  the  members  of  the  mission.  The  Holy 
Spirit  was  very  manifestly  with  us  during  our  long  meeting  of 
twenty  days,  which  was  attended  by  both  males  and  females. 
At  the  close  of  these  discussions,  there  was  found  to  be  a degree 
of  unanimity  wholly  unexpected,  considering  the  great  change 
proposed.” — We  may  add,  that  we  had  ourselves  no  definite 
plans  to  propose  to'  the  mission  on  our  arrival.  We  soon  per- 
ceived that  our  chief  business  was  to  promote  the  freest  inter- 
change of  views  and  sentiments  among  the  different  members 
upon  desirable  modifications  to  be  made  in  their  working 
system.  It  became  at  length  obvious  to  us,  as  it  evidently  was 
to  a majority  of  the  brethren,  that  it  was  time,  as  Mr.  Spaulding 
remarked,  to  “ tack  ship.” 


37 


While  at  Madura,  in  February,  we  had  been  pained  to  hear 
from  Mr.  Spaulding  of  the  ravages  of  disease  in  the  District. 

“ At  present,”  he  said,  “ all  our  operations  are  suspended.  Our 
village  schools  and  congregations  are  scattered  to  the  winds, 
and  few,  very  few  attend  on  the  Sabbaths.  The  cholera  and 
small-pox  are  all  about  us.  Our  mission  looks  like  a wrecked 
vessel,  and  when  it  will  right,  if  ever,  is  beyond  my  fore- 
thought. You  come  in  a good  time  to  help  us.  Even  so, 
come.”  These  afflictive  events  made  a reconstruction  of 
the  common  schools,  about  eighty  in  number,  comparatively 
easy.  The  extract  already  made  from  Mr.  Meigs’s  report  has 
described  them  as  composed  of  small  children,  and  so  of  dimin- 
ished value.  In  the  reconstruction,  the  mission  provided  for 
the  existence  of  village  schools  of  a higher  order  than  the  old 
ones,  and  every  missionary  was  called  on  to  say,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  his  brethren,  how  many  he  wished  to  have  for  Christian 
children,  and  how  many  for  heathen.  The  number  desired  for 
Christian  children,  as  the  fact  was  thus  drawn  out,  was  twenty, 
and  for  heathen  children  twenty-one  ; and  the  appropriations  of 
the  Prudential  Committee,  the  present  year,  provide  for  the  sup- 
port of  these  forty-one  schools,  at  a cost  quite  equal,  we  believe, 
to  that  of  the  larger  number  of  inferior  schools  on  the  former 
plan. 

It  was  found  that  the  centralizing  “ English  Schools  ” at 
each  of  the  stations,  supported  by  the  government  grant  of 
£200,  could  not  be  continued  in  the  mission  without  exerting 
an  influence  adverse  to  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  paro- 
chial village  schools,  so  urgently  required  by  the  progress  made 
in  the  work.  No  parent  would  send  a son  to  the  vernacular 
• school,  no  boy  would  go  there,  if  he  could  reach  by  any  means 
the  English  school  ; and  the  best  of  the  teachers  had  like 
aversions  and  aspirations  with  the  pupils.  Both  the  native 
language  and  the  vernacular  school  were  in  low  repute.  And 
as  the  Christian  village  schools  formed  an  important  element  in 
the  village  congregations  and  village  churches,  the  English 
schools  would  retard  the  development  of  the  Christian  village 
system, — the  only  possible  system  for  rooting  gospel  institutions 
effectually  in  the  native  soil.  An  efficient  vernacular  education 
there  could  not  be,  for  the  masses,  without  relinquishing  the 
English  schools.  This  the  mission  did,  and  with  our  approval. 
It  also  respectfully  declined  longer  receiving  the  government 
grant  of  £200.  Such  grants  were  generous,  and  deserve  the 
grateful  acknowledgments  of  the  Board  ; but  they  were  no 
longer  necessary,  (if  they  could  properly  be  received  on  our 
new  basis;)  and,  implying  the  right  of  visitation,  they  would 
sooner  or  later,  in  various  ways,  work  adversely  to  the  strictly 
evangelical  character  of  our  schools.  It  is  an  evil  for  a mission 
4 


38 


to  become  a disbursing  agency  for  large  sums  of  money  among 
the  heathen,  as  it  awakens  in  them  hopes  of  earthly  gain,  and 
strengthens  their  mercenary  spirit. 

It  is  impossible  for  us,  Fathers  and  Brethren,  to  go  into  a full 
exposition,  in  this  Report,  of  all  the  changes  made  by  our 
Ceylon  brethren  in  their  working  system,  in  order  to  the  erect 
tion  of  a spiritual  temple  upon  the  foundation  they  had  sough- 
to  lay  in  the  native  mind.  It  may  be  well  for  us,  however,  to 
say  somewhat  more  of  these  changes. 

The  Batticolta  Seminary  had  been  shorn  of  the  great  reli- 
gious strength  it  possessed  in  former  times,  and,  under  the  force 
of  circumstances  beyond  direct  control,  was  working  mainly  for 
the  secular  advantage  of  the  native  youth  ; and  none  were 
more  earnest  for  changes  in  it  than  Mr.  Hastings,  its  excellent 
Principal.  Only  eleven  out  of  ninety-six  pupils  were  members 
of  the  church;  and  many  were  looking  forward  mainly  to  gov- 
ernment for  employment,  “and  seemed  determined,”  in  the 
language  of  the  mission,  “to  have  nothing  to  do  with  Chris- 
tianity.” The  introduction  of  pay-scholars  was  filling  the  in- 
stitution more  and  more  with  the  sons  of  rich  men,  or  of  men 
connected  with  the  government,  who  were  preparing  for  secu- 
lar posts  of  honor  or  profit,  and  might  be  expected  to  prefer 
heathen  wives,  with  large  dowries,  to  a connection  with  our 
pious  Oodooville  girls.  The  studies,  moreover,  though  adopted 
with  no  such  intent,  fell  in  with  the  ambitious  schemes  of  the 
young  men  for  acquiring  wealth  and  influence.  These  studies 
were  mainly  English,  which  had  gained  on  the  Tamil,  until,  as 
we  learned  from  the  Principal,  the  purely  vernacular  studies  of 
the  three  'classes  were  only  twelve,  while  the  English  were 
thirty-five  ; and  there  were  fourteen  others  in  which  there 
was  a mixture  of  English  and  Tamil.  The  evils  of  this 
system  are  stated  by  the  mission  in  their  report  on  the  Sem- 
inary, which  is  appended  to  this  Report.  The  youth  were  all 
drawn  from  the  villages,  and  their  education  was  such  as  to 
unfit  them  for  a return,  except  upon  a high  salary  from  the 
mission.  The  mission  says  in  its  report,  that  “ they  are  so 
much  elevated  by  their  education  above  the  mass,  that  they 
feel  unable  to  live  on  the  income  they  would  receive  in  the  or- 
dinary occupations  of  the  country,  become  discontented,  and 
seek  employment  in  other  places.”  Few  of  the  graduates  have 
returned  to  their  villages,  without  employment  from  the  mis- 
sion, or  without  heathen  wives  who  have  brought  them  rich 
dowries, — for  it  is  a curious  fact  in  this  District,  as  already 
stated,  that  the  land  goes  chiefly  with  the  females  in  the  form 
of  dowries.  Ninety-two  of  the  graduated  church  members  of 
this  Seminary,  or  a fourth  part  of  the  communicants,  have  been 


39 


excommunicated  by  the  mission,  and  chiefly  for  marrying 
heathen  wives.  “ By  their  education/’  says  Mr.  Spaulding, 
“ they  have  raised  their  worth  above  their  former  value  in  the 
matrimonial  market,  and  sell  themselves  for  rank  and  dowry.” 
The  only  question  in  respect  to  this  institution,  was  as  to  the 
extent  of  the  changes.  The  Deputation  suggested,  that  were 
the  English  language  thrown  out  of  the  regular  course  of  study, 
it  might  be  expedient  to  have  a select  theological  class  of  grad- 
uates who  should  be  instructed  in  English  ; but  the  mission 
deemed  it  unwise  then  to  make  any  such  provision.  The  sus- 
pension of  the  Seminary  for  a time,  was  resolved  upon  after  we 
left  the  island,  and  was  not  suggested  by  either  of  us.  One  of 
the  older  brethren  was  the  first  person  we  heard  recommend  it. 
He  said  they  were  so  well  supplied  with  educated  helpers,  that 
they  should  not  need  the  institution  for  two  years  to  come,  and 
that  there  was  no  one  who  could  be  spared  to  take  charge  of 
the  Seminary,  sufficiently  conversant  with  the  native  language 
to  make  it  such  a religious  institution  as  it  was  originally. 
He  was,  therefore,  for  suspending  the  Seminary,  and  giving  the 
Principal  that  opportunity  he  so  much  desired,  apart  from  Eng- 
lish-speaking natives,  to  come  into  a free  use  of  the  Tamil  lan- 
guage. The  Principal  himself  has  since  informed  us,  that  this 
arrangement  had  his  cordial  approbation.  The  institution,  when 
revived,  is  to  be  mainly  a theological  school,  with  pious  pupils, 
and  to  have  the  Tamil  language  for  its  medium  of  instruction. 
But  we  presume  the  English  language  will  be  taught  to  a select 
class,  at  some  stage  in  the  course  of  study. 

The  Oodooville  Female  Boarding  School , under  the  care  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spaulding,  assisted  by  Miss  Agnew,  has  retained 
its  excellencies  as  a religious  institution.  The  excommunica- 
tions have  been  only  twelve,  or  one  in  fifteen.  The  firmness 
with  which  the  females  from  this  school  have  adhered  to  their 
Christian  profession,  is  remarkable.  We  saw  many  of  them  as 
wives  and  mothers  at  their  houses.  They  were  intelligent- 
looking  women,  thoroughly  christianized,  cordial  in  their  man- 
ners, and  evidently  a blessing  in  their  community.  The  diffi- 
culties to  be  overcome  in  female  education  at  the  outset,  were 
very  great  in  Jaffna.  It  was  deemed  necessary,  for  twenty- 
five  years,  to  receive  pupils  on  the  basis  of  remaining  till 
they  were  married  ; and  also,  when  married,  to  give  each  of 
them  a dowry  of  about  twenty  dollars.  Those  received  after 
1849  were  to  remain  only  six  years,  and  were  to  receive  no 
dowry  from  mission  funds.  The  object  of  the  school  is  to 
give  to  a select  number  of  promising  females  an  education 
superior  to  what  they  can  obtain  in  the  Christian  village  schools, 
with  a view  to  their  becoming  the  wives  of  native  pastors,  cat- 
echists and  other  missionary  agents.  The  number  of  pupils 


40 


when  we  were  there,  was  seventy-three,  which  was  much 
larger  than  any  probable  demand  for  educated  Christian  wives. 
Indeed,  many  of  the  pupils  had  been  too  long  in  the  school. 

“ Some,”  says  the  report  of  the  mission,  “ have  remained  fif- 
teen or  sixteen  years,  and  one  over  nineteen  years.”  Of  the 
two  hundred  and  twenty-two  who  have  been  in  the  school, 
exclusive  of  the  present  pupils,  sixty  had  resided  there  ten 
years  and  upwards.  It  was  the  opinion  of  the  mission,  that 
these  older  pupils  should  be  gradually  removed  from  the  school, 
and  that  it  was  not  wise  to  create  a supply  of  females  educated 
in  this  manner  beyond  the  probable  demand.  Provision  was 
made  by  the  mission  for  gradually  reducing  the  number  of 
pupils  to  thirty-five ; and  they  are  to  be  twelve  years  old  when 
received,  and  are  generally  to  give  evidence  of  piety,  and  to 
come  from  the  families  of  church  members  or  nominal  Christians. 

We  have  no  doubt  that  these  changes  resulted  from  the  gen- 
eral and  decided  convictions  of  the  members  of  the  mission. 
But  the  carrying  out  of  the  plan,  as  regards  the  older  pupils, 
cannot  but  be  a source  of  perplexity  and  trial  to  the  feelings  of 
the  venerable  Principals.  Yet,  seeing  it  is  a result  which  must 
come  at  some  time,  and  that  it  can  be  brought  about  with  less 
odium  among  the  natives  through  their  agency,  than  by  a mis- 
sionary and  his  wife  newly  cotne  on  the  ground,  it  is  matter 
for  gratitude  that  the  reduction  will  be  made  while  they  are 
spared  to  effect  it.  Indeed,  this  reflection  was  derived  by  one 
of  us  directly  from  Mr.  Spaulding. 

This  Board  occupies  the  Province  of  Jaffna  jointly  with  the 
Church  Missionary  Society  and  the  English  Wesleyan  Mission- 
ary Society,  both  of  which  have  gone  largely  into  education. 
Our  own  expenditure  for  education  alone,  from  the  beginning, 
has  been  $250,000,  which  has  been  among  130,000  people,  our 
own  part  of  the  population  of  Jaffna. 

After  such  an  outlay,  we  may  well  presume  that  a sufficient- 
ly broad  foundation  in  the  District  has  been  laid  in  general 
education.  If  it  be  not,  then  is  it  beyond  the  power  of  mis- 
sionary societies.  We  are  entitled  to  presume,  too,  that  the 
great  body  of  our  alumni  have  acquired  some  measure  of  that 
appreciation  of  knowledge  and  enlargement  of  views  and  pub- 
lic spirit,  which  are  supposed  to  belong  to  educated  men-.  They 
are  among  the  leading  men,  the  intellectual  aristocracy,  of  their 
day  ; and  if  science  has  taught  them  the  falsehood  and  folly  of 
Hindoo  mythology,  and  is  at  all  reliable  as  a missionary  influ- 
ence, then  they,  in  their  respective  spheres,  will  bear  witness 
to  the  truth.  They,  too,  will  favor  a vernacular  education  for 
the  masses  of  the  people,  and  will  cooperate  with  us  in  the 
effort  to  make  it  take  root  in  the  soil,  and  become  self-sup- 
porting and  independent.  But  the  precise  value  of  the  results 


> 


41 


of  the  above  expenditure,  in  a religious  and  missionary  point 
of  view,  will  more  clearly  appear  after  there  shall  have  been 
time  to  know  the  effects  of  the  changes  that  are  now  in  pro- 
gress in  the  working  of  the  missions. 

Thus  has  the  Ceylon  mission)  after  a long,  costly  and  elab- 
orate preparation,  adapted  its  system  of  education  to  the  de- 
mand arising  from  that  preparation.  It  was  in  no  sense  an 
abandonment  of  education,  but  a modification,  answering  to 
what  the  mission  regarded  as  clear  indications  of  the  will  of 
God.  We  cannot  doubt  that  the  Seminary,  the  Female  Board- 
ing School,  and  the  schools  for  heathen  children,  if  vigorously 
prosecuted  on  the  plan  recommended  in  the  reports  of  the 
mission,  will,  in  their  several  spheres,  be  more  efficient  for 
strictly  missionary  purposes,  than  they  have  been  of  late  years  ; 
and  the  present  parish  schools  for  Christian  children  are  an 
addition,  a great  addition,  to  the  system.  The  entire  distribu- 
tion of  forces,  including  the  village  congregations,  churches, 
and  native  pastors,  is  adapted  to  the  present  advanced  prepara- 
tion (so  rarely  found  as  yet  in  India)  for  preaching  the  gospel 
‘ from  house  to  house,’  and  also  to  the  peculiarly  rural  life  of 
the  people.  The  more  direct  aim  of  the  mission  is  to  be  hence- 
forth the  planting  of  gospel  institutions  in  the  villages  in 
such  way  as  will,  through  God’s  grace,  give  promise  of  dispens- 
ing with  all  foreign  culture  at  a day  not  too  remote  for  our 
hopes  to  dwell  upon.  A member  of  the  mission,  already 
quoted,  says  that  “one  of  the  most  important  changes”  while 
the  Deputation  was  in  Jaffna,  “ related  to  the  gathering  of 
village  churches.  One  such  church  was  formed  while  they 
were  here,  and  a native  pastor  was  ordained  over  it ; and  we 
hope,”  the  writer  continues,  “ before  many  years,  to  see  the 
village  movement  general  throughout  the  island.”  It  is  very 
justly  added,  that  “ a great  and  noble  preparation  for  this  has 
been  made  by  the  older  members.” 

The  whole  thus  far,  however,  is  a preparation.  The  actual 
converts  are  not  numerous  ; and,  as  Dr.  Poor  has  remarked, 
the  eleemosynary  nature  of  the  training  has  somewhat  hindered 
the  development  of  Christian  graces  among  them.  It  is  due  to 
the  Board,  that  we  transfer  to  this  Report  a few  statements  from 
our  official  letter  to  the  mission,  written  after  its  protracted 
meeting.  In  that  letter  we  said, — “ Your  report  on  preaching 
shows  that  yours  has  been,  as  you  say,  ‘ truly  a preaching 
mission.’  The  mission,  as  a body,  has  from  the  first  been 
corrfposed  of  able  and  faithful  preachers.  Notwithstanding 
this,  there  has  hitherto  been  a failure  to  obtain  reliable  adult 
congregations,  where  the  same  persons  attend  from  Sabbath  to 
Sabbath.  We  know  of  nothing  more  surprising  in  our  expe- 
rience of  missions,  than  the  result  as  regards  congregations  in 


42 


your  five  older  stations.  For  a period  of  from  thirty-four  to 
nearly  forty  years,  those  stations  have  enjoyed  the  labors  of 
some  of  the  ablest  and  most  faithful  of  missionaries  ; and  dur- 
ing all  this  time,  there  has  been  every  facility  which  popular 
schools  of  varied  form  could  give.  Yet,  in  a population  of  one 
hundred  ancl  thirty  thousand  souls,  separating  from  the  congre- 
tions  the  pupils  in  the  mission  schools  and  the  persons  deriving 
their  support  from  mission  employ,  only  one  hundred  and 
twenty-four  adults  remain,  for  the  whole  of  these  five  older 
congregations,  who  are  not  members  of  the  church.  Had  so 
much  piety,  talent  and  labor  been  employed,  for  so  long  a time, 
simply  in  direct  preaching  efforts  to  collect  congregations,  with- 
out the  intervention  of  schools,  we  should  have  been  ready  to 
regard  this  mission  as  without  doubt  to  be  relinquished  for  some 
more  productive  field.  As  it  is,  however,  we  come  to  no  such 
conclusion.  We  have  supposed  that  it  proves  the  insufficiency 
of  schools  as  a means  of  securing  stated  congregations,  rather 
than  the  impracticability  of  the  field.  It  falls  in  with  similar 
facts  elsewhere  to  show,  that  though  schools  may  secure  an 
audience,  for  the  time  being,  they  are  not  the  best  way  of 
securing  a stated  congregation.  They  would  seem  rather  to 
stand  in  the  way  of  it.  We  say  this  with  a perfect  recollection, 
that  we  at  home  have  had  a joint  and  cordial  agency  with  our 
brethren  here  in  this  method  of  working  the  mission,  and  have 
written  and  published  much  to  secure  to  it  favor  and  success; 
and  through  it  much  valuable  experience  has  been  acquired, 
experience  that  has  been  and  will  be  useful  here  and  else- 
where, saving  vastly  more  money  than  it  has  cost.  We 
believe,  too,  that  in  the  working  out  of  this  great  experiment, 
there  has  been  much  real  preparation  made  for  the  spread  of 
the  gospel  in  this  Province  ; and  that  God’s  providence  will  in 
time  make  this  fact  stand  out  much  more  clearly  than  it  does 
at  present.  Even  now,  your  older  members  are  at  no  loss  for 
proofs  of  this  abundantly  satisfactory  to  their  own  minds.” 

We  further  stated,  that  “ the  whole  number  of  church- 
members  is  376  ; and  of  these,  including  31  members  of 
the  two  seminaries,  249  derive  their  support,  in  some  form, 
from  the  mission.  This  is  not  mentioned  as  a defect  in  the 
churches  ; for  in  one  point  of  view,  it  is  certainly  well  that  so 
large  a number  of  members  are  worthy  of  employment,  and 
can  find  it  as  preachers,  catechists,  schoolmasters,  etc.,  or  of 
being  educated  in  boarding  schools.  Still  it  is  a misfortune, 
that  so  large  a proportion  of  the  members  stand  in  .just 
that  relation.  Now  this  peculiar  constitution  of  the  mission 
churches  in  this  Province  should  be  viewed  in  connection  with 
the  no  less  peculiar  constitution,  of  the  mission  congregations  ; 
and  these  again  should  be  viewed  in  connection  with  the  other 


43 


parts  of  the  working  system.  Thus  the  two  boarding  schools 
have  been  the  chief  feeders  of  the  church.  In  other  words, 
the  converting  influence  of  the  mission  is  and  has  been  chiefly 
through  its  boarding  schools. 

“ Churches  thus  formed  and  sustained  cannot  become  self- 
supporting,  active,  united  churches,  nor  give  highly  satisfactory 
evidence  of  piety.  We  find  it  hard  to  trust  the  motives  of  the 
members,  and  to  confide  in  them,  and  of  course  to  love  and 
respect  them  as  we  should.  They  cannot  be  greatly  multi- 
plied, and  more  change  is,  therefore,  needful  in  our  method  of 
operating. 

“ The  general  course  of  your  proceedings  in  your  late  meet- 
ing, as  detailed  in  your  reports,  is  in  accordance  with  these 
views.  You  regard  the  main  strength  of  our  future  efforts  as  to 
be  in  the  village  church,  the  village  pastor,  the  village  school 
with  its  nucleus  of  Christian  children,  and  the  native  preaching 
bungalow,  which  may  serve  also  for  the  village  school. 

“ Such  churches  as  this  you  propose  to  form  wherever  the 
Lord  is  pleased  to  renew  by  his  grace  a sufficient  number  of 
the  inhabitants  ; and  you  intend  to  ordain  pastors  wherever 
there  is  a suitable  man  to  fill  so  sacred  and  responsible  an  office, 
and  a church  that  needs  and  desires  him  for  its  shepherd. 
From  the  feeling  of  interest  awakened  among  the  people  in  this 
movement,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  you  will  need  to  exercise  great 
wisdom  and  firmness,  to  prevent  the  existence  of  worthless 
churches,  and  of  pastors  a great  deal  worse.  We  earnestly 
advise  you,  however,  for  obvious  reasons,  to  suffer  no  unneces- 
sary delay  in  organizing  churches  in  the  several  villages  which 
came  under  the  distinct  consideration  of  our  late  meeting.” 


VII. 

MADRAS  AND  ARGOT  MISSIONS. 

We  have  restricted  ourselves  in  this  Report  chiefly  to  the 
older  and  larger  missions,  which  we  first  visited.  There  were 
no  extended  discussions  of  subjects  while  we  were  at  Madras  ; 
except  as  regards  the  Printing  Establishment,  of  the  value 
of  $30,000,  which  we  believed  ought  to  be  restricted  to  the 
demands  of  the  native  language.  Mr.  Hunt,  the  printer, 
returned  from  the  United  States  while  one  of  us  was  yet  in 
India,  and  he  inclined  strongly  to  the  same  opinion.  Our  ven- 
erable brother  Scudder  was  called  to  his.  rest  while  we  were  in 
India,  and  before  we  reached  Madras.  Only  Messrs.  Winslow 
and  Hurd  were  there  to  meet  the  Deputation.  A small  num- 


44 


ber  of  copies  of  their  report  and  of  our  official  letter  have  been 
printed  for  the  use  of  the  Prudential  Committee. 

The  Arcot  mission,  at  that  time  composed  of  three  brothers, 
sons  of  Dr.  Scudder,  we  visited  in  June  of  last  year.  Their 
three  stations  are  all  of  recent  origin;  and  it  was  not  deemed 
necessary,  nor  was  there  time,  to  renew  the  discussions  of  gen- 
eral principles  there,  which  had  already  been  discussed  once 
and  again,  and  some  of  them  for  the  third  time.  Their  report,  a 
letter  addressed  to  us,  and  our  official  letter  to  them,  have  been 
printed  for  private  use.  Born  in  India  of  missionary  parents, 
and  admitted  at  an  early  age  to  the  spoken  language  of  the 
people,  they  have  a strong  bias  towards  preaching  as  their 
especial  vocation  ; though  not  to  the  neglect  of  vernacular 
schools  and  books.  We  were  much  interested  in  their  labors  as 
preachers,  and  were  happy  to  encourage  them  in  this  good 
work  of  the  Lord. 


VIII. 

THE  ENGLISH  LANGUAGE. 

We  shall  be  brief  in  what  we  have  to  say  on  the  place 
which  the  English  Language  has  had,  and  now  has,  in  our 
India  missions.  The  Board  will  kindly  bear  in  mind  the  dis- 
tinction we  have  made  between  the  means  to  be  used  in  the 
large  cities  and  in  the  rural  districts  of  India,  and  that  our 
remarks  are  not  designed  to  have  a special  bearing  upon  the 
former.  We  make  a distinction,  also,  between  teaching  Eng- 
lish as  a study , and  using  it  as  a medium  of  instruction.  We 
should  say,  moreover,  that  the  use  of  this  language  has  never 
been  a matter  of  any  serious  difference  of  opinion  between 
the  Prudential  Committee  and  the  India  missions.  Never, 
before  the  year  1854,  had  it  come  up  in  a form  to  create  even 
an  issue  between  the  Committee  and  their  brethren  in  India  ; 
and  then  it  was  in  the  proposal  from  Bombay  which  led  to 
onr  visit.  The  subject  has  not  been  often  discussed  in  letters 
to  the  India  missions.  In  letters  to  the  Ceylon  mission,  we 
find  a single  page  as  long  a-go  as  the  year  1847,  and  that  in 
the  mildest  argumentative  form.  To  the  Madura  mission  the 
Secretary  went  into  a more  extended  statement  of  the  subject 
in  the  year  1S50,  but  took  no  extreme  view,  and  disclaimed 
any  authority.  The  Prudential  Committee  and  the  Secretaries 
have  said  so  little  on  the  use  to  be  made  of  the  English  lan- 
guage, because  they  did  not  know  what  were  the  proper  metes 
and  bounds  to  its  use.  It  is  a question  to  be  settled  by  expe- 
rience, and  there  has  not  yet  been  experience  enough  to  har- 
monize the  views  even  of  missionaries.  The  Mahratta  mis- 
sions have  recorded  it  as  their  opinion,  that  “ there  is  no  reason 


45 


for  the  study  of  English  in  their  schools  for  catechists  and 
teachers,  at  least  in  the  Deccan.  They  should  be  strictly  ver- 
nacular schools.  Our  ordinary  catechists  and  teachers,”  they 
say,  “ are  to  be  employed  in  laboring  for  their  countrymen 
in  the  Mahratta  language,  ft  is  important  that  their  train- 
ing should  be  vernacular.”  11  The  vernacular  of  any  people,” 
they  add,  “ is  believed  to  be  the  most  suitable  language  in 
which  to  communicate  truth,  and  through  which  to  affect  the 
heart.  Schools  [for  the  higher  education]  in  which  the  ver- 
nacular is  the  grand  medium  of  instruction,  and  the  English,  if 
introduced,  is  only  taught  as  a classic,  seem  to  be  founded  on 
the  best  basis,  and  to  promise  and  produce  the  best  results.” — 
The  Madura  mission  decided,  that  the  class  of  young  men  of 
promise  and  piety  between  the  ages  of  fiteen  and  twenty-five, 
preparing  for  schoolmasters,  catechists,  and  eventually,  in  some 
cases,  pastors,  should  be  restricted  to  purely  Tamil  studies.  But 
they  say,  that  a part  of  the  higher  class  “should,  in”  their 
“ opinion,  study  the  English  language,  both  for  mental  disci- 
pline, and  that  they  may  have  access  to  English  literature. 
But  as  a medium  of  instruction,  the  English  should  be  ex- 
cluded where  proper  text-books  in  Tamil  can  be  obtained.” — 
The  Ceylon  mission  declared  it  to  be  their  opinion,  that  it  was 
not.  expedient  to  continue  the  study  of  English  in  the  Female 
Boarding  School.  They  affirm  their  ability  to  show  by  many 
facts,  “ that  efforts  to  evangelize  a people  through  a foreign 
tongue,  have  not  proved  successful.”  They  also  state,  that 
the  system  of  instruction  pursued  in  the  Batticotta  Seminary 
“ has  tended  to  give  a prominence  to  instruction  in  the  English 
language  and  the  sciences,  which  has  led  many  of  the  students 
to  neglect  their  own  language.  Though  great  efforts  have 
been  made  on  the  part  of  the  missionaries  in  charge  to  give 
special  prominence  to  biblical  instructions  in  the  vernacular, 
and  bring  in  science  to  illustrate  and  impress  the  truth,  the 
current  in  favor  of  English  and  the  sciences  has  steadily  ad- 
vanced with  little  interruption.”  “A  class  of  men”  too,  they 
affirm,  “ has  been  raised  up,  who  though  well  educated,  and 
in  some  respects  well  qualified  for  service  among  the  people, 
are  not  in  the  best  manner  fitted  by  their  course  of  training  for 
that  kind  of  humble  and  persevering  labor,  which  is  most 
needed  in  making  known  the  gospel,  and  giving  it  a footing 
permanently  in  the  villages,  on  a self-sustaining  basis.”  And 
they  add,  that  the  “missionaries  connected  with  the  institu- 
tion have  been  hindered  in  the  acquisition  ‘of  the  colloquial 
language  of  the  country.  They  have  not  been  compelled  by 
circumstances  to  speak  in  Tamil,  and  the  temptation  to  use 
their  own  mother  tongue  has  too  often  prevailed.  The  same 


46 


may  be  true  to  some  extent  of  other  missionaries,  who  have 
catechists  under  their  care  that  can  speak  the  English  lan- 
guage.” 

The  mission  accordingly  gave  it  as  their  conviction,  “ that 
no  instruction  in  English  should  be  given  in  the  regular 
course  ; ” and  that  “ the  course  of  study,  being  wholly  in  the 
vernacular,  should  be  eminently  biblical,  such  as  will  by  the 
blessing  of  God  prepare  the  pupils  to  wield  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God.  Sacred  history,  geography, 
and  science  should  be  brought  in  to  aid  in  this  work,  and  all 
should  centre  in  the  Bible,  and  be  made  to  explain  its  truths.” 
It  has  been  already  stated,  that  we  suggested  the  expediency  of 
teaching  the  English  language  to  a select  advanced  class  in 
theology,  but  that  the  mission  did  not  deem  it  expedient  at 
that  time  to  make  a formal  provision  for  such  an  arrangement. 

After  so  extensive  a use  of  the  English  language  in  their 
school  system,  none  can  be  more  competent  than  our  brethren 
of  the  Ceylon  mission  to  judge  and  speak  of  its  real  value  as  a 
missionary  instrument.  How  far  the  mission  has  had  an 
agency  in  creating  the  passion  for  it,  which  seemed  to  pervade 
the  District  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  we  do  not  know.  We 
thus  wrote  to  the  mission  : 

“ The  declarations  we  have  heard  from  the  most  intelligent 
natives,  as  to  the  rush  of  feeling  for  English  in  the  native  mind, 
almost  exceeds  belief ; and  yet,  until  quite  lately,  we  have 
heard  no  contrary  testimony  from  any  quarter.  We  have  heard 
it  affirmed  by  the  highest  Tamil  authority  in  the  District,  that 
no  education  is  valued  by  the  people  except  in  the  English 
language  ; that  the  value  placed  upon  that  language  is  simply 
as  a means  of  acquiring  wealth,  office  and  influence,  and  not 
for  the  purpose  of  reading  English  books,  and  so  gaining  access 
to  the  fountains  of  English  knowledge  ; that  western  science 
is  not  sought  by  the  people  for  its  own  sake,  and  would  not  be 
valued  if  clad  in  a Tamil  garb  ; that  if  English  were  excluded 
from  the  Seminary,  the  scholars  would  all  flee  from  the  institu- 
tion ; and  that  if  the  mission  should  cease  giving  instruction 
m English,  and  restrict  its  labors  to  the  use  of  Tamil,  the 
natives  would  lose  all  interest  in  the  mission,  and  all  its  schools 
and  congregations  would  come  to  an  end.  We  could  only 
reply,  that  if  such  would  be  the  consequences  resulting  from 
the  change,  it  was  high  time  for  us  to  abandon  the  English, 
and  restrict  ourselves  to  the  Tamil  altogether.  But  the  belief 
that  such  would 'be  the  result,  is  sustained  by  no  experience 
whatsoever.  Who  ever  heard  of  such  a phenomenon  ? It 
would  prove  the  people  of  Jaffna  to  be  the  most  narrow-minded, 
uninteliectual,  mean-spirited  people  in  the  world.  What  could 


47 


be  said  in  favor  of  schools  as  pioneers  and  auxiliaries  of  preach- 
ing, were  such  consequences  to  follow  in  Jaffna  from  restricting 
ourselves  to  imparting  instruction  in  the  mother  tongue?  It 
would  show  that  the  minds  of  the  people  in  all  their  gradations 
of  society, — and  of  Christians  no  less  than  heathens, - — were 
grasping  at  nothing  but  rupees.  We  will  not  believe  in  the 
possibility  of  this,  before  the  facts  demonstrate  it.” 

A member  of  the  mission  having  the  above  statement  in 
mind,  and  writing  to  one  of  us  under  date  of  August  2,  1855, 
said  : — “ We  have  seen  nothing  of  that  contempt  and  disrespect, 
not  to  speak  of  more  violent  demonstrations,  from  the  natives, 
on  account  of  the  late  changes,  which  were  foretold,  and  already 
begin  to  doubt  the  accuracy  of  the  predictions.” 

It  seemed  to  us,  that  the  mission  acted  on  the  very  best 
reasons  in  excluding  the  English  language  from  their  schools, 
and  from  the  course  of  study  in  the  Seminary.  The  English 
language,  as  acquired  by  the  Tamil  young  man,  found  no 
market  in  his  native  village,  nor  within  the  territory  occupied 
by  the  mission,  except  as  the  mission  became  the  purchaser  by 
giving  him  a salary  that  would  meet  his  own  views.  The 
consequence  was  that  it  was  needful  to  give  larger  salaries  than 
the  village  churches  would  be  able  to  pay  ; and  too  often  the 
graduate  went  into  the  more  lucrative  service  of  the  govern- 
ment, or  of  some  merchant  or  planter,  and  thus  his  labors  and 
influence  were  lost  to  the  mission,  and  to  his  native  village. 
Were  our  object  merely  to  educate  and  civilize  the  people,  this 
might  do  ; but  the  churches  cannot  afford  to  prosecute  their 
work  in  this  manner. 

The  missionaries  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  who 
have  long  cultivated  a district  lying  between  two  parts  of  our 
own  territory,  had  given  up  teaching  the  English  language  in 
their  high  schools  before  our  arrival,  for  reasons  similar  to  those 
which  governed  our  own  brethren,  and  declared  themselves 
decidedly  against  the  system  of  English  studies  which  had 
been  pursued. 


IX. 

CASTE. 

In  every  mission  except  the  Ceylon,  all  seemed  to  be  done 
that  was  possible  for  the  suppression  of  caste  among  the  church 
members.  In  Ceylon,  we  did  not  find  caste  tolerated  in  the 
mission  churches,  but  we  found  it  existing  in  the  social  life  of 
the  Christian  community,  and  we  thought  that  more  should  be 
done  to  expel  it  thence.  It  is  doubtless  true,  that  the  peculiar 


48 


state  of  caste  in  the  Jaffna  community  makes  it  the  more  diffi- 
cult to  eradicate  the  same  wholly  from  the  church.  It  is  an 
evil,  like  intemperance  in  our  own  country,  that  requires  a per- 
petual watch,  and  perpetual  effort ; and  thus  it  will  be  for  a long 
time  to  come.  It  connects  itself  with  notions  of  family  rank 
and  consequence,  and  of  the  value  of  dowry  ; and  many  native 
Christians  seemed  too  desirous  of  retaining  their  connections 
with  their  heathen  relatives,  and  too  fearful  of  the  consequences 
that  would  follow  from  breaking  wholly  with  the  world. 

The  following  pledge  was  signed  by  about  ninety  of  the 
leading  members  of  the  church,  while  we  were  on  the  island  ; 
namely, — “ We,  the  undersigned,  do  solemnly  pledge  our- 
selves and  affirm,  that  we  will  wholly  renounce  in  ourselves, 
and  discountenance  in  others,  all  caste  and  other  distinctions 
and  usages  in  society,  which  tend  to  foster  pride,  impair  the 
affections,  and  hinder  the  kindly  offices  of  Christian  love, 
and  that  we  will  not  object  to  eating  any  kind  of  food,  on  ac- 
count of  the  caste  of  the  person  or  persons  by  whom  it  was 
cooked  or  offered  to  us.”  And  the  mission  declared  its  inten- 
tion of  carrying  out  this  declaration,  both  in  the  spirit  and  letter. 
“In  the  formation  of  future  village  churches,”  they  say,  “in 
the  appointment  of  officers,  and  in  the  ordination  of  pastors 
over  them,  every  precaution  will  be  taken  to  proceed  upon  cor- 
rect principles  in  reference  to  caste.” 


X. 


POLYGAMY. 

The  action  of  the  missions  with  regard  to  polygamy  was 
explicit  and  satisfactory.  The  Mahratta  mission  came  to  the 
following  result : — “When  a legal  divorce  can  be  effected,  it 
should  always  be  required  before  an  individual  be  admitted  to 
the  church.  The  only  cases  of  real  difficulty  which  present 
themselves  to  our  minds  are  when  a legal  divorce  cannot 
be  effected.  We  believe,  however,  that  it  is  not  expedient  to 
admit  any  one  to  the  church,  even  in  such  cases,  without  his 
giving  a written  pledge  to  the  church  that  he  will  no  longer 
cohabit  with  more  than  one  wife,  and  that  he  will  also,  if 
necessary,  support  the  wife  thus  put  away  so  long  as  she  shall 
lead  a virtuous  life.  Such  a man,  though  unable  to  free  him- 
self from  the  legal  relation  of  husband  to  the  person  thus  put 
away,  we  believe  to  be  free  from  the  guilt  of  polygamy,  and 
hence  a proper  candidate  for  admission  to  the  church.” 

The  Madura  mission  laid  down  this  principle : — “ That  as 


49 


polygamy  is  contrary  to  the  original  design  of  the  Deity  in  the 
institution  of  the  marriage  relation,  and  opposed  to  all  the 
teachings  of  Christ,  and  as  there  is  no  positive  evidence  that  the 
Apostles  ever  admitted  polygamists  into  the  churches  estab- 
lished by  them,  no  polygamist,  however  well  fitted  he  may  be 
in  other  respects,  should  be  admitted  to  any  of  our  churches, 
until  he  has  entered  into  covenant  with  the  church  that  he 
will  henceforth  be  the  husband  of  only  one  wife.” 

No  polygamists  have  ever  been  received  into  the  church  in 
the  Ceylon  mission,  nor,  indeed,  into  those  of  any  other  of  our 
India  missions ; and  it  was  the  expectation  of  the  missions 
that  none  ever  would  be  received.  The  brethren  in  Arcot  say, 
“ Polygamy  has  not  existed,  and  will  not  be  allowed  to  exist, 
in  any  of  our  Churches.” 


XI. 

FINANCIAL  CONCERNS. 

We  reflect  with  pleasure  on  the  financial  results  to  which 
the  missions  have  come  in  their  deliberations.  We  shall  not 
go  into  detail,  but  a topic  of  so  much  importance  ought  not  to 
be  wholly  omitted. 

The  Madura  mission  voted  to  sell  the  houses  and  land  in 
what  was  formerly  called  the  Madura  Fort,  the  property  at  the 
unproductive  station  of  Sivagutiga,  and  the  houses  at  West 
Dindigul  ; the  whole  estimated  at  $7,000.  The  proceeds  of 
the  sale  were  to  go  for  preparing  some  three  or  four  new  and 
more  eligible  stations  for  missionaries  ; the  expense  of  each 
new  station  being  estimated  at  $1,750.  At  Bombay,  the  Board 
owns  two  dwelling-houses  in  a part  of  the  city  called  Byculla, 
estimated  to  be  worth  $7,000.  It  was  arranged  that  one  of 
these  be  sold  ; and  it  was  recommended  that  the  other  be  re- 
tained only  for  the  present.  A wet,  unhealthy  open  ground 
lies  back  of  them,  and  a thousand  dollars,  voted  by  the  Pruden- 
tial Committee  for  purchasing  and  filling  a part  of  this  ground, 
was  appropriated  to  current  expenses,  as  being  an  inadequate 
and  inexpedient  remedy  for  the  evil.  The  Huntridge  chapel 
legacy  of  $3,750  was  invested,  as  far  as  needed  for  the  pur- 
pose, in  a new  and  desirable  chapel.  The  mission  premises  at 
Bhingar,  near  Ahmednuggur,  not  now  occupied,  are  also  to  be 
sold.  Their  estimated  value  is  $2,500. 

The  property  in  houses,  lands,  printing  establishments,  and 
the  like,  held  by  the  Board  for  the  use  of  the  India  missions, 
is  of  value  for  missionary  uses ; and  much  attention  was 
given  to  perfecting  the  titles  by  which  it  is  held,  and  to  prevent 
o 


60 


unnecessary  investments  in  lands  and  buildings,  agreeably  to 
the  established  policy  of  the  Board. 

A great  ultimate  saving  was  effected  by  the  principles  and 
rules  adopted  for  the  building  of  dwelling-houses  for  mission- 
aries and  native  helpers,  and  of  houses  for  public  worship.  Con- 
sidering the  inexperience  of  new  missionaries  in  all  such  mat- 
ters, this  department  of  expenditure  requires  constant  attention, 
and  we  found  our  brethren  fully  awake  to  the  subject.  Great 
reduction  was  made  prospectively  in  the  rate  of  expense  for 
native  houses  for  worship  and  catechists’  houses.  The  Board 
will  be  interested  to  see  at  what  a sum  it  is  believed  such 
buildings  may  be  erected. 

Houses  for  Worship.  Dwellings. 

Ahmedmisgur  Mission,  - $25  to  150.  $25. 

Madura  Mission,  - - - - $12  to  50.  $ 8 to  50. 

Ceylon  Mission,  - $25  to  75.  $50  to  75. 

The  value  of  these  in  a religions  and  missionary  point  of 
view,  is  even  greater  than  in  a financial.  Where  the  style  is 
suited  to  the  native  taste,  and  the  cost  is  so  small,  it  may  be 
hoped  the  native  Christians  themselves  will  assume  much  of 
the  expense  at  the  outset,  and  the  whole  at  no  distant  day. 

Whoever  carefully  reads  the  reports  adopted  by  the  missions 
on  estimates,  appropriations  and  expenditures,  will  see  that  the 
annual  expenditure  of  the  Board  is  approximating  towards  that 
exact  method,  which  is  so  eminently  desirable  in  our  extended 
operations. 


XII. 

OFFICIAL  SANCTION  GIVEN  TO  PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  MISSIONS. 

Our  Instructions  authorized  us  “ to  give  such  directions  to 
the  several  missions,”  as  we  should  “judge  that  the  best 
interests  of  the  missions  demand,”  in  all  cases  in  which  it 
should  be  our  united  judgment,  that  the  exigency  was  such  at 
not  to  justify  delay  for  the  action  of  the  Prudential  Committee  ; 
with  the  understanding,  that  our  action  be  subject  to  the 
revision  of  the  Committee,  and  that  we  be  not.  at  liberty  to 
make  pecuniary  appropriations.  Of  “directions”  we  had  very 
few  to  give.  Every  mission  of  three  or  more  members  is 
regarded  as  an  organized  body,  for  self-government,  under  the 
‘ Rules  and  Regulations  of  the  Board  ; ’ and  the  habit  of  the 
Prudential  Committee  is  to  throw  as  much  responsibility  upon 
these  organized  bodies,  as  can  be  done  with  propriety.  Now 
it  should  be  observed,  that  the  greater  number  of  the  arrange- 
ments embodied  in  the  reports  of  the  missions,  considered 


51 


separately  or  collectively,  were  within  the  discretion  of  the 
several  missions,  (subject  of  course  to  the  revision  of  the  Pru- 
dential Committee  ;)  and  had  they  been  adopted  in  the  regular 
meetings  of  the  missions,  would  not  have  needed  the  ratifica- 
tion of  the  Committee  in  order  to  become  obligatory  on  the 
members.  The  proceedings  of  the  Syrian  mission,  at  a meet- 
ing where  only  the  Secretary  was  present,  are  an  illustration  in 
point.  The  location  of  its  members,  the  assignment  of  labors, 
and  the  prospective  arrangement  for  its  female  boarding  school, 
will  stand,  unless  disapproved  by  the  Prudential  Committee. 
They  were  arrangements  within  the  discretion  of  the  mission, 
as  an  organized,  self-governing  body,  and  needed  only  the  vote 
of  the  majority  of  members.  It  is  expected,  however,  that 
such  proceedings  of  the  missions  will  always  be  promptly 
reported  to  the  Prudential  Committee.  The  Mahratta  meet- 
ing was  not  a meeting  of  one  mission,  but  of  four  missions  ; 
and  its  proceedings,  for  that  reason,  required  the  sanction  of 
another  body.  It  will  be  seen,  however,  that  the  action  of  the 
Deputation,  so  far  as  any  specific  measures  were  concerned,  had 
respect  mainly  to  the  effective  introduction  of  the  village  opera- 
tion ; which  a reference  to  the  official  correspondence  from  the 
Missionary  House  will  show  has  long  been  the  settled  policy 
of  the  Prudential  Committee  for  the  Deccan.  Most  of  the 
subordinate  details  of  business  depended  on  reasons  which  at 
the  time  seemed  to  render  delay  inexpedient.  In  the  Madura 
proceedings,  we  see  nothing  to  which  we  gave  an  official  sanc- 
tion, that  lay  beyond  the  discretion  of  the  mission  at  its 
ordinary  business  meetings  ; except  an  appropriation  for  the 
Sanitarium , which  had  been  specifically  referred  to  us  by  the 
Committee.  It  was  stated  to  the  mission,  that  their  meeting 
with  us  was  extraordinary,  and  that  their  proceedings  would  not 
become  obligatory  as  they  were  in  ordinary  business  meetings, 
until  they  should  receive  the  sanction  of  the  Prudential  Com- 
mittee through  the  Deputation,  or  by  their  direct  action  at  a sub- 
sequent period.  As  the  entire  practical  system  of  the  mission 
was  then  to  come  under  revision,  it  was  thought  well  to  have 
this  reservation.  Cases  requiring  pecuniary  grants  were,  of 
course,  referred  to  the  Committee.  There  were  several  such 
cases  in  these  missions.  The  changes  in  the  Ceylon  mission, 
at  least  the  more  important  of  them,  were  all  intimately  con- 
nected together,  and  should  be  regarded  as  forming  one  whole. 
We  see  nothing  in  the  proceedings  of  that  mission  beyond  the 
discretion  of  its  ordinary  business  meetings.  This  is  true  even 
of  the  reduction  in  the  number  of  scholars  in  the  Batticotta 
Seminary,  and  the  modifications  in  the  course  of  study.  Similar 
modifications,  only  somewhat  less  in  degree,  had  been  effected 


before.  The  institution  has  always  been  in  the  hands  of 
the  mission.  The  same  is  true  of  the  Oodooville  Female 
Boarding  School.  The  circumstances  must,  indeed,  be  extra- 
ordinary, which  would  justify  so  much  change  without  a 
previous  correspondence  with  the  Committee  ; but  seeing  the 
change  involved  no  increase  of  expenditure,  it  was  not  beyond 
the  discretion  allowed  to  so  experienced  a mission.  Our  official 
sanction  was  required  for  the  reason  mentioned  above  in  con- 
nection with  the  Madura  proceedings  ; and  it  was  clearly  appa- 
rent to  us  on  the  ground,  that  it  would  not  be  wise  to  defer 
this  sanction.  The  arrangement  made  with  the  printing  estab- 
lishment, was  not  suggested  by  us,  but,  as  we  have  understood, 
by  one  of  the  older  brethren.  All  appeared  to  believe  it  was 
the  best  thing  that  could  be  done.  If  done  at  all,  it  must  be 
while  the  printer  was  on  the  ground,  and  we  could  not  doubt  it 
was  the  duty  of  the  Prudential  Committee  at  once  to  approve 
of  it.  The  transfer  of  Mr.  Burnell  to  the  Madura  mission  was 
not  among  the  powers  committed  to  a mission.  This  was 
effected  by  the  Deputation,  with  the  approval  of  all  the 
brethren  ; who  thought  favorably  of  his  entering  the  gospel 
ministry,  and  believed  he  could  do  it  more  advantageously 
among  the  people  of  the  Madura  district  than  in  Jaffna.  It  was 
a clear  case. 

The  powers  which  it  is  safe  and  wise  to  accord  to  missions, 
constituted  as  the  missions  are  under  the  care  of  this  Board,  is 
a thing  which  has  been  gradually  learned  by  experience  ; but 
these  powers  cannot  yet  be  reduced  to  a constitution,  or  code 
of  laws,  that  shall  be  equally  applicable  to  all  missions,  or  to 
any  one  mission  in  all  circumstances.  The  whole  is  conveni- 
ently regulated  by  a free  and  frequent  correspondence.  A point 
where  the  Deputation  came  near  to  exercising  authority,  during 
their  visit,  was  in  procuring  the  abrogation  of  a rule  in  some  of 
the  missions,  against  which  the  Prudential  Committee  had 
declared  themselves  some  years  ago, — that  no  member  of  the 
mission  should  write  to  the  Committee,  directly  or  indirectly, 
on  any  subject  concerning  the  character  or  operations  of  the 
mission,  or  any  of  its  members  as  such,  without  first  showing 
what  he  had  written  to  the  mission.  There  were  members 
who  had  apprehensions  of  evil  from  dispensing  with  the  rule. 
But  the  great  body  of  our  missions  work  well  without  it  ; and 
the  rule  had  been  found  to  prevent  the  Prudential  Committee 
from  learning  the  views  of  the  minority,  and  thus,  in  effect,  to 
give  the  majority  an  undue  preponderance.  We  deemed  it  safe 
and  wise  that  more  freedom  should  be  allowed  to  the  individual 
missionary  in  his  correspondence. 

We  also  exercised  the  responsibility,  for  reasons  generally 


53 


approved  by  our  brethren,  after  learning  the  facts  in  the  case, 
of  deciding  against  the  continuance  of  the  English  School  at 
Madura.  The  school  had  been  in  operation  twenty  years. 
Not  far  from  five  hundred  boys  had  enjoyed  its  advantages. 
The  Board  had  expended  three  thousand  rupees,  not  to  speak 
of  interest  money,  in  buildings  for  it ; and  one  thousand  rupees 
more  as  its  share  of  the  current  expenses  of  its  support,  in  addi- 
tion to  what  was  raised  in  India.  A great  amount  of  mission- 
ary time,  thought  and  labor  had  been  given  to  it.  All  had 
been  done  for  it  that  the  nature  of  the  case  permitted.  No  one 
could  doubt  it  had  been  useful  to  society.  But  not  a member 
of  the  school  had  ever  been  known  to  receive  a saving  im- 
pression from  the  truths  of  the  gospel.  God  had  withheld 
from  it  his  seal,  and  we  believed  that  the  experiment  had  been 
sufficiently  tried.  The  school  was  at  the  station  in  what  has 
been  called  the  Madura  Port,  which  has  since  been  relinquished 
for  one  more  favorably  situated. 


XIII. 

RELATION  OF  MISSIONARIES  TO  NATIVE  PASTORS  AND 
CHURCHES. 

On  the  fifth  day  of  the  meeting  of  the  Ceylon  mission,  the 
expediency  of  organizing  a church  on  the  island  of  Caradive 
came  under  consideration.  The  usage  of  the  mission  required 
this  matter  to  be  determined  by  a body,  bearing  the  name  of 
‘ The  Consociation  or  Presbytery,’  but  composed  of  identically 
the  same  persons  with  the  mission,  and  only  those.  Another 
chairman  and  another  clerk  were  called  into  requisition,  and 
it  so  happened  that  the  clerk,  not  foreseeing  the  exigency,  had 
failed  to  bring  his  records.  The  inconvenience  of  the  arrange- 
ment was  apparent,  and  the  question  arose,  whether  the  mission , 
as  such,  had  not  authority  from  God’s  word  to  perform  that 
service.  As  the  result  of  the  conference  which  followed,  the 
mission  unanimously  voted,  “ That,  hereafter,  the  business 
which  was  formerly  transacted  by  the  ecclesiastical  body,  be 
transacted  by  the  mission.”  In  the  Madura  and  Mahratta 
missions,  we  found  no  bodies  of  any  kind  distinct  from  the 
mission. 

A memorandum,  drawn  up  by  the  senior  member  of  the 
Deputation  while  in  Constantinople,  and  read  to  the  Conference 
assembled  there,  contains  all,  and  more  than  all,  the  sugges- 
tions which  were  made  at  any  time  in  India,  by  either  member 
of  the  Deputation,  on  the  subject  of  ‘ the  relations  of  mission- 
aries to  the  native  pastors  and  churches.'1  The  object  of  the 


memorandum  was  to  see  how  far  it  was  sustained  by  the  expe- 
rience and  judgment  of  that  intelligent  body  of  missionaries. 
The  Board  will  perceive  that  the  views  taken  of  this  funda- 
mental subject  are  strictly  missionary,  and  not  at  all  sectarian. 
They  accord  with  the  early  training  the  writer  received  from 
the  justly  honored  Evarts,  and  with  the  equal  relations  sus- 
tained by  the  Board  and  its  officers  to  the  several  bodies  of 
Christians  which  it  represents.  It  should  be  added  that  none 
of  these  views  have  ever  been  presented  to  missionaries,  orally 
or  in  written  form,  except  as  mere  suggestions,  to  be  received, 
or  otherwise,  as  they  satisfied  the  judgment.  Beyond  this 
simple,  unsectarian,  fundamental  view  of  the  relation  which 
missionaries  sustain,  and  may  with  most  advantage  sustain,  to 
native  pastors  and  churches,  we  have  not  gone,  as  a Deputation 
or  as  individuals. 

“ 1.  A missionary  is  a minister  of  the  gospel  sent  to  heathen 
or  unevangelized  people,  under  the  command  of  Christ,  to 
preach  the  gospel.  He  does  not  derive  his  authority  from  the 
Board,  nor  from  the  ordaining  body,  nor  from  any  earthly 
source.  The  ordaining  body,  the  Board,  merely  recognize  it. 
They  attend  to  the  proofs  of  his  divine  call,  and  pronounce  a 
judgment  upon  them. 

“ 2.  The  missionary’s  work  and  office  are,  in  some  respects, 
extraordinary.  He  is  not  a pastor  of  a church,  but  the  founder 
of  churches,  and  may  have  the  care  and  superintendence  of 
many  churches.  He  is  not  an  Apostle,  and  has  no  miraculous 
gifts.  But  he  has,  nevertheless,  gifts  to  bestow  ; providential 
gifts,  that  are  more  essential  to  his  work  than  miracles.  He 
has  the  disposal  of  funds, — for  training  native  preachers,  sup- 
porting native  pastors,  building  churches,  educating  children  of 
the  church,  for  books,  and  the  like.  He  is  a minister  of  the 
gospel,  and  he  is  something  more.  What  he  is,  is  best  indica- 
ted by  the  word  missionary  ; which  is  an  extraordinary  office 
for  an  extraordinary  work. 

“ 3.  It  is  not  material  to  the  question,  whence  the  funds  are 
derived.  It  is  enough  that  they  are  at  his  disposal  ; that  they 
have  been  providentially  rendered  essential  to  the  working  out 
of  the  great  results  of  modern  missions  ; that  the  existence  of 
native  churches,  native  pastors,  native  preachers  and  schools, 
native  books  including  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  the  whole 
working  of  the  mission,  depend  upon  them.  The  missionary’s 
financial  responsibility  cannot  be  separated  from  his  clerical 
responsibility.  He  is  himself  to  reason  and  act,  and  he  is  to 
be  reasoned  about  and  judged  by  others,  in  his  complex  and 
higher  character  as  a missionary. 

“ 4.  For  him  to  become  the  pastor  of  a native  church,  is  to 


place  himself  in  a position  which  may  in  time  give  rise  to 
serious  practical  errors.  It  must  weaken  the  moral  power  of 
a mission  as  a presiding,  guiding,  regulating  agency  among 
the  native  churches.  Whatever  pastoral  labor  and  care  are 
exercised  by  missionaries,  should  be  exercised  by  them  ex 
officio , and  of  their  own  right. 

“ 5.  The  effect  of  this  will  be  to  prevent  much  of  that  in- 
terference with  the  working  of  the  native  ministry,  that  conflict 
of  opinions  and  interest  between  the  two  bodies,  and  that 
‘ lording  it  over  God’s  heritage,’  of  which  there  is  so  much 
danger  on  the  other  plan.  The  line  between  the  mission  and 
the  native  ministry,  being  more  distinct,  will  be  less  frequently 
crossed.  There  will  be  less  misunderstanding,  less  jealousy, 
on  the  part  of  the  natives.  Missionaries  and  the  mission  will 
find  it  easier  to  maintain  a firm  and  consistent  stand.  Where 
there  is  liability  of  having  not  a few  wayward  pastors,  and  not 
a few  wayward  churches,  this  is  of  immense  importance. 

“ 6.  It  seems  to  be  a departure  from  the  simple  and  beautiful 
constitution  of  the  missionary  work  for  missionaries  to  perform 
their  main  business,  i.  e.,  preaching  the  gospel  as  missionaries , 
and  to  perform  the  other  parts  of  their  business,  i.  e.,  organ- 
izing churches  and  ordaining  native  pastors,  as  mere  ministers  ; 
in  bodies  separate  and  distinct  from  the  mission,  whether  called 
councils,  associations,  consociations,  presbyteries,  or  classes. 
Why  not  perform  the  whole  missionary  work  as  missionaries 
and  missions  ? 

“7.  As  a mere  minister , the  missionary  is  on  a parity  with 
the  native  pastor.  As  a missionary , he  is  not.  The  native 
pastor  must  be  admitted  to  an  association  or  presbytery , and 
with  an  equal  vote  ; but  into  the  mission  he  cannot  be  received. 
And  considering  the  pecuniary  responsibilities  involved,  for  a 
time,  in  every  organization  of  a church,  and  in  every  licen- 
sure and  ordination,  and  that  these  pecuniary  responsibilities 
must  be  restricted  to  the  missions,  it  is  obvious,  while  this  state 
of  things  lasts , that  missionaries  ought  to  keep  their  working 
system  distinct  from  that  of  the  native  ministry,  and  perfectly 
simple.  Associated  with  missionaries  in  ecclesiastical  bodies, 
on  a parity  as  to  voice  and  right,  which,  after  all,  cannot  exist 
in  effect,  the  native  ministry  will  be  in  danger  of  becoming 
ambitious,  envious,  jealous,  and  addicted  to  cliques  and  cabals 
for  carrying  their  points  against  missionaries  and  the  mission. 
Nor  would  this  be  the  best  way  to  train  them  for  standing 
alone. 

“ 8.  They  are  babes,  children,  youth,  and  not  men  ; and 
should  not  be  put  forward  to  the  position  of  manhood,  until 
they  have  attained  to  age  and  experience. 


56 


“ 9.  In  process  of  time,  under  missionary  guidance,  the  na- 
tive churches  and  pastors  will  of  course  become  associated,  in 
some  form,  for  the  independent  transaction  of  their  own  busi- 
ness. What  that  form  shall  be,  may  well  be  left  to  be  deter- 
mined in  the  light  of  the  experience  then  existing.” 

Thus  far  the  memorandum.  A quotation  may  properly  be 
added  from  the  report  of  the  Mahratta  missions  on  native  pas- 
tors and  churches.  The  report  says,  — 

“ It  is  our  opinion  that  the  native  pastors  should  not  be  asso- 
ciated with  the  missionaries  in  ecclesiastical  bodies.  There  are 
many  objections  to  such  a course,  and  it  has  been  found  to  be 
attended  with  difficulties  in  the  places  where  it  has  been  tried. 
The  business  of  the  missionary  is  peculiar.  He  is  intrusted 
with  the  disbursement  of  funds  for  mission  purposes  by  the 
Christian  churches  of  his  native  land,  and  he  cannot  delegate 
that  trust  to  others.  He  stands  in  a peculiar  relation  to  the 
churches  which  have  sent  him  out  and  which  sustain  him  in 
the  field,  and  to  the  Society  under  whose  superintendence  he 
labors.  The  native  pastors  do  not  come  into  the  same  relation 
to  that  Society.  They  work  under  the  supervision  of  the  mis- 
sionary, and  are  responsible  to  the  mission  by  which  they  are 
employed,  the  mission  being  responsible  to  the  Society.  Of 
course  the  native  pastors  cannot  act  as  members  of  the  mission. 
And  whatever  ecclesiastical  body  or  bodies  are  formed  by  the 
native  pastors  among  themselves,  the  missionary  should  in  our 
opinion  remain  unconnected  with  them.  He  may  attend  the 
meetings  of  their  ecclesiastical  bodies  when  he  shall  think  it 
desirable,  and  advise  them  in  difficult  matters  ; but  in  general 
we  think  it  will  be  found  most  expedient  to  leave  the  native 
pastors  to  manage  their  ecclesiastical  affairs  for  themselves.  In 
this  way  they  will  become  most  speedily  prepared  for  maintain- 
ing the  institutions  of  religion  independently  of  foreign  assist- 
ance, and  their  churches  for  becoming  self-governing  and  self- 
sustaining  churches  of  Christ.  The  departure  of  the  missionary, 
when  that  shall  finally  take  place,  will  then  be  no  sudden  dis- 
ruption of  ecclesiastical  relations,  nor  will  it  weaken  the  eccle- 
siastical body  which  the  native  pastois  have  formed.” 

XIV. 

CONCLUSION. 

What  was  the  governing  idea  in  all  these  progressive  move- 
ments ? It  was  the  organized  village  church, — with  its  plain 
house  of  worship,  its  native  pastor  and  officers,  its  congregation, 
its  weekly  and  Sabbath  schools,  and  their  self  supporting  ten- 


57 


dencies.  Should  it  be  thought  (hat,  till  of  late,  this  idea  was 
not  fully  developed  in  the  minds  of  our  missionary  brethren,  it 
is  still  true  that  divine  Providence  was  leading  in  this  direction. 
Great  practical  truths  usually  have  a gradual  development.  13ut 
when,  in  our  conferences,  the  facts  were  brought  together  in 
their  natural  relations,  the  will  of  Providence  became  most 
clearly  manifest.  And  the  stand-point,  from  which  the  Board 
will  obtain  the  best  view  of  God’s  work  of  grace  in  and  through 
these  missions,  is  the  village  church. 

A main  object  of  this  Report,  Fathers  and  Brethren,  has 
been  briefly  to  describe  the  more  important  adaptations  of 
means,  by  our  respected  brethren  in  India,  to  the  progressive 
demands  of  the  work  in  the  three  older  missions.  You  have 
seen  the  Ahmednuggur,  Madura  and  Ceylon  missions  succes- 
sively in  that  more  advanced  stage  of  progress,  when  they 
were  enabled  to  form  centres  of  operation  distinct  from  the  sta- 
tions, with  that  best  of  all  spiritual  germs — the  church.  Such 
churches  you  have  seen  organized,  for  the  first  time,  in  each  of 
those  missions  ; and  furnished,  also  for  the  first  time,  with  na- 
tive pastors.  As  an  important  means  to  the  same  end,  you  have 
seen  the  way  opened  for  commencing  village  stations  in  the 
Deccan  in  Western  India,  with  resident  missionaries,  remote 
from  the  cities;  thus  providing  for  successive  constellations  of 
light  and  influence  in  that  most  interesting  region.  Next  you 
have  seen  the  schools  subjected  to  modifications,  to  adapt  them 
to  this  new  position  of  the  work.  Men  may  be  converted  by 
preaching  without  schools,  but  how,  without  them,  can  we 
build  up  and  perpetuate  churches  and  congregations?  You 
have  seen  that  one  of  the  main  inquiries  in  the  Madura  mission 
was,  how  to  strengthen  the  large  system  of  vernacular  schools 
connected  with  the  village  congregations.  If  was  to  invigorate 
them,  and  through  them  the  congregations,  and  thus  to  lead  on 
to  the  gathering  of  village  churches,  that  the  boarding  schools 
at  four  of  the  stations  in  that  mission  were  to  be  progressively 
relinquished,  and  that  more  variety  was  to  be  imparted  to  the 
studies  of  the  Seminary  at  Pasumalie.  So  in  Ceylon,  where 
the  work  of  preparation  had  been  elaborately  performed,  and 
had  been  much  longer  in  progress,  where  were  scores  of  native 
Christians  ready  to  be  formed  into  village  churches,  and  edu- 
cated natives  for  pastors,  the  Board  has  seen  that  the  time 
had  fully  come  for  entering  at  once  and  earnestly  into  the 
only  method  of  planting  gospel  institutions  effectually  in  all 
parts  of  the  Jaffna  District.  Going  then,  as  the  mission  did, 
for  the  establishment  of  village  churches,  it  perceived  the  need 
of  having  Christian  schools,  to  be  under  the  especial  care  of 
those  churches,  and  to  look  mainly  to  them  for  support.  With- 


out  such,  the  churches  could  not  live  and  grow.  The  Board 
will  remember,  that  twenty  Christian  schools  were  instituted  in 
Jaffna  ; while  the  heathen  were  not  overlooked,  an  equal  num- 
ber having  been  provided  for  their  children,  besides  the  privilege 
of  attending  the  Christian  schools.  Nor  will  it  be  forgotten, 
that,  among  the  reasons  for  discontinuing  the  English  station 
schools,  was  their  evident  incompatibility  with  the  success  of 
the  vernacular  village  schools.  And  it  must  have  been  seen, 
that  the  Batticotta  Seminary  could  not  meet  the  high  spiritual 
demands  upon  it,  in  this  new  order  of  things,  without  some 
such  thorough  reconstruction  as  it  received  from  the  mission, 
even  at  the  expense  of  a temporary  suspension  of  its  functions 
in  order  more  effectually  to  secure  that  result  ; and  also,  that 
the  Female  Boarding  School  at  Oodooville  must  needs  be  adapt- 
ed in  form  and  character  to  its  correlative  institution. 

Simplicity,  order,  economy,  spirituality,  are  essential  to  the 
high  prosperity  of  these  and  all  other  missions  ; and  to  the 
attainment  of  each  of  these  great  excellencies  the  missions 
aimed  in  their  late  discussions,  and  not  without  success.  And 
surely  the  result,  to  which  they  so  unitedly  came  on  the  subject 
of  polygamy  and  caste,  calls  for  our  gratitude  to  the  Giver  of 
all  good. 

'Fhe  use  to  be  made  of  a language  foreign  to  the  people,  in 
missions, — as  for  instance  of  the  English, — is  wholly  depend- 
ent on  circumstances,  and  to  be  determined  by  experience.  It 
must  have  been  obvious  to  the  Board,  that  the  great  body  of 
our  brethren  in  India  believe  its  use  in  the  rural  districts,  except 
as  a classic  for  select  theological  students,  is  no  longer  con- 
ducive to  the  attainment  of  their  object.  Both  the  missions 
and  the  Prudential  Committee  have  had  much  to  learn,  and 
much  to  unlearn,  by  experience. 

For  ourselves,  we  sought  every  where  to  retain  and  strengthen 
our  hold  upon  the  affections  and  confidence  of  our  brethren. 
That  which  we  desired,  and  which  we  believe  we  obtained, 
was  the  actual  opinions  of  trie  several  missions  on  the  subjects 
proposed  for  their  consideration.  Never  were  messengers  of 
the  churches  more  blest  with  words  of  affection  than  we  were, 
when  we  met  our  brethren,  and  when  we  left  them.  We  trust  we 
say  this  with  gratitude  to  Him  who  sent  us  forth,  and  was  ever 
with  us.  Such  a testimony  is  due  to  the  several  missions.  The 
resolutions  which  were  adopted  at  the  close  of  the  conferences 
were  spontaneous,  and  their  purport  was  unknown  to  us  till 
they  were  read  in  the  meeting.  We  valued  them  the  more,  as 
believing  them  to  be  a correct  expression  of  the  sentiments 
cherished  towards  us.  We  embody  but  three  of  them  in  this 


59 


Report ; the  others  will  be  appended.  That  of  the  Mahratla 
missionaries  assembled  at  Ahmednuggur,  was  as  follows  : 

“ As  the  Deputation  are  now  about  leaving  us,  it  is  due  to 
ourselves  as  well  as  to  them  to  express  the  gratification  which 
their  visit  has  afforded  us,  and  our  sense  of  the  benefit  con- 
ferred upon  the  missions  of  the  American  Board  in  the  Mahratta 
country  by  the  opportunity  we  have  enjoyed  of  meeting  and 
conferring  with  them.  They  have  carefully  examined  the 
working  of  these  missions  in  all  their  departments,  and  have 
given  us  many  valuable  suggestions  and  wise  counsels.  Their 
efforts  to  retrench  the  expenses  of  our  missions  have  had  our 
hearty  concurrence  ; and  in  this  matter  they  exhibited  a liber- 
ality and  regard  to  our  feelings  which  have  gratified  us  much. 
The  results  of  their  extended  experience  and  observation  in 
reference  to  missionary  operations  in  other  countries  have  led 
us  to  view  some  questions  of  mission  policy  in  a different  light 
from  that  in  which  we  should  have  otherwise  viewed  them  ; 
and  we  have  reason  to  regard  their  counsels  in  reference  to 
these  subjects  as  very  timely  and  important.  They  have  given 
us  new  ideas  of  the  best  mode  of  gathering  and  organizing 
churAes,  placing  native  pastors  over  them,  and  preparing  them 
speedily  to  be  self-governing  and  self-sustaining  churches. 
These  suggestions  we  regard  as  extremely  important  to  the 
best  working  of  our  missions.  We  have  also  been  very  much 
gratified  in  the  opportunity  we  have  had  of  social  and  religious 
intercourse  with  the  members  of  the  Deputation  ; and  our  souls 
have  been  very  much  animated  and  quickened  by  the  exhibi- 
tion of  their  religious  views  and  feelings.  May  the  great 
Head  of  the  church  prosper  them  on  their  way,  and  attend 
their  visits  to  other  missions  whither  they  are  sent  with  his 
blessing,  making  them  the  means  of  great  good  to  all  those 
missions,  even  as  they  have  been  to  us.” 

The  Madura  mission  adopted  the  following  preamble  and 
resolutions  : 

“ Having  been  visited  by  a Deputation  from  the  American 
Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions,  composed  of  the 
Rev.  Rufus  Anderson,  D.  D.,  senior  Secretary  of  the  Board, 
and  the  Rev.  Augustus  C.  Thompson,  a member  of  the  Pru- 
dential Committee,  and  having  enjoyed  intercourse  with  them 
in  our  families,  and,  in  a general  meeting  of  twenty  days, 
joined  with  them  in  the  discussion  of  many  subjects  pertaining 
directly  to  the  coming  of  the  Redeemer’s  kingdom,  and 
united  frequently  with  them  in  social  worship  ; we  desire  to 
present  to  them,  and  those  by  whom  they  were  sent,  a cordial 
expression,  both  of  the  views  we  entertain  with  respect  to  their 


60 


visit,  and  of  our  feelings  towards  them  as  brethren  in  the  Lord. 
Therefore  resolved  unanimously, — 

“ That  we  anticipate  from  this  visit  great  and  good  results, 
and  that  these  brethren,  as  they  leave  us,  will  bear  with  them 
our  confidence,  our  respect,  and  our  love. 

“ We  have  been  gratified  by  the  frankness  and  Christian 
courtesy,  which  have  attended  all  their  intercourse  with  us. 
We  have  been  encouraged  by  the  interest  they  have  manifested 
in  the  native  Christians  under  our  care  and  the  general  good  of 
our  mission.  We  have  been  greatly  assisted  by  the  counsels 
their  experience  has  enabled  them  to  give  in  regard  to  subjects 
of  difficulty. 

“ They  have  endeared  themselves  to  us  by  their  instructions 
as  ministers  of  Christ,  their  sympathy  with  us  in  our  trials,  and 
the  warm  interest  they  have  manifested  in  the  welfare  of  our 
children.  We  commend  them,  on  leaving,  to  the  care  of 
Israel’s  God  ; praying  that  He  may  watch  over  them  in  all  their 
travels  by  land  and  sea,  assist  them  in  the  arduous  duties  they 
have  yet  to  discharge  in  this  country,  and  restore  them  in  safety 
to  the  bosom  of  their  families,  and  to  their  former  labors.” 

The  resolution  of  the  Ceylon  mission  was  quoted  ifi  that 
part  of  the  Report  describing  the  changes  which  have  occurred 
in  that  mission. 


Fathers  and  Brethren  : 

The  first  subject  considered  by  the  missions  of  India  and 
Western  Asia,  in  their  successive  meetings,  was  this: — The 
governing  object  in  missions  lo  the  heathen — Should  it  be  the 
conversion  of  sinners,  the  gathering  of  such  converts  into 
churches , and  the  ordaining  of  native  pastors  over  such 
cliurcJies  ? 

The  missions  found  great  advantage  in  prayerfully  endeavor- 
ing to  obtain  a more  distinct  idea,  from  the  Holy  Scriptures,  of 
the  object  of  their  mission  to  the  heathen,  before  discussing 
any  one  of  the  means  to  be  employed.  And  we  would  sug- 
gest whether  we  all,  at  this  present  meeting,  may  not  find  it 
useful  to  devote  time  to  a consideration  of  the  great  end  we  have 
in  view  as  a missionary  institution.  We  may  thus  come  more 
fully  into  sympathy  with  our  brethren  in  the  missions,  and  so 
be  better  able  to  judge  of  their  proceedings.  A more  important 
inquiry,  one  more  vital  to  the  missionary  work,  can  never  come 
before  the  Board.  And  it  surely  will  be  well  for  us  to  be  ear- 
nest in  supplications  at  the  Throne  of  Grace  for  the  illuminat- 
ing presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  raise  our  minds  to  those  sub- 
lime contemplations  of  the  gospel,  as  God’s  appointed  instru-x 


61 


ment  for  the  conversion  of  the  world,  which,  through  his 
blessing,  will  strengthen  our  faith,  inflame  our  zeal,  and  give 
unity  to  our  counsels  and  efforts.  The  cause  is  one  of  tran- 
scendent dignity  and  glory,  connecting  itself  with  the  entire 
movement  of  the  church  militant  and  triumphant.  It  is  the 
cause  of  our  Redeemer  and  Lord — of  Him  “ who,  being  in  the 
form  of  God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God  ; but 
made  himself  of  no  reputation,  and  took  upon  him  the  form  of 
a servant,  and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of  men  ; and  being 
found  in  fashion  as  a man,  he  humbled  himself,  and  became 
obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross.  Wherefore 
God  also  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and  given  him  a name 
which  is  above  every  name  ; that  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every 
knee  should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven,  and  things  in  earth,  and 
things  under  the  earth,  and  that  every  tongue  should  confess 
that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father.” 

We  are  your  fellow-laborers  in  the  service  of  Christ, 


Albany,  March  4,  1850. 


• 

, 

' ’* 

■ 

' 


APPENDIX. 


I. 

VISIT  OF  THE  DEPUTATION. 

In  addition  to  the  expressions  of  opinion  and  feeling  from  the  Ceylon, 
Mahratta  and  Madura  missions,  embodied  in  the  Report,  there  were  the 
following : 

1.  Rev.  Miron  Winslow,  of  the  Madras  mission,  wrote  thus,  under  date 
of  July  10,  1855:  “The  response  of  our  mission  to  your  statement  of  views 
respecting  the  mission,  contains  a brief  expression  of  our  united  feeling  of 
high  respect  and  individual  esteem,  as  well  as  of  Christian  love,-  not  the 
less  heart-felt  because  it  was  brief ; but  I cannot  deny  myself  the  privilege 
personally  of  expressing  my  feeling  of  individual  obligation. 

“ Your  visit  has  not  only  refreshed  my  soul,  and  cheered  my  heart,  and  I 
trust  strengthened  my  faith,  but  also  enlarged  my  views,  in  some  respects, 
on  the  leading  ob  jects  to  be  kept  in  mind  in  prosecuting  Christian  missions 
in  India;  especially  in  regard  to  the  importance  of  establishing  native  pas- 
tors and  churches  at  an  earlier  period  than  has  generally  been  thought  pru- 
dent. Though  not  as  yet  in  this  mission  prepared  to  act  upon  the  sugges- 
tion, we  are  not  the  less  thankful  to  see  it  acted  on  by  others. 

“ I do  not  profess  to  adopt  all  the  views  and  opinions  which  seem  to  have 
been  arrived  at  in  the  other  missions, — as  possibly  I might,  had  I heard  all 
the  points  discussed, — and  I may  not  even  agree  with  the  Deputation  as  to 
the  form  and  manner  of  carrying  forward  the  missionary  work  in  all  its  vari- 
ous details, — which  must  differ  in  different  places,  at  different  times,  and 
under  different  agents  ; but  I most  heartily  concur  in  what  has  been  kept  in 
view  in  all  the  discussions,  that  the  controlling  object  of  missions  should  be 
the  glory  of  Christ  in  the  conversion  of  souls  ; and  the  main  instrument  the 
oral  preaching  of  the  gospel , as  far  as  possible,  to  every  creature. 

“ I trust  that  your  toilsome  visit  to  India,  and  your  unwearied  labors  and 
counsels,  will  greatly  promote  the  conviction  of  missionaries,  that  this  one 
thing  they  must  do ; and  if  so,  you  will  have  an  abundant  reward.” 

2.  Extract  of  a letter  signed  by  the  three  brethren  comprising  the  Jlrcot 
mission,  dated  Chittoor,  June  30,  1855:  “We  have  especially  reason  to  be 
thankful  that  you  have  visited  us.  You  have  done  us  good.  You  have 
pointed  out,  in  our  operations,  certain  things,  which  would  impede  the  full 
carrying  out  of  the  fundamental  principle  of  our  mission.  These  we  have 
cheerfully  abandoned.  We  feel  under  deep  obligations  to  you  for  calling 
our  attention  to  them.  You  have  also  made  many  other  valuable  suggestions, 
for  which  you  will  kindly  receive  our  sincere  thanks.  We  are  now  in  cir- 
cumstances to  prosecute  our  labors  with  more  light  and  discernment.  We 
rejoice  that  you  have  seen  our  work ; that  you  have  personally  acquainted 
yourselves  with  our  difficulties  and  trials;  that  you  have  conversed  with  our 
congregations,  the  flock  over  whom  God  lias  placed  us  as  shepherds.  You 


64 


are  thus  in  circumstances  to  sympathize  with  us  more  fully,  and  to  present 
more  clearly  our  cases  in  your  pleadings  before  the  Father  of  all  mercies.” 

3.  Resolution  of  the  Syrian  mission,  October  1,  1855:  “ Resolved , That 
it  is  a source  of  high  gratification  to  this  mission,  that  both  of  the  members 
of  the  Deputation  to  the  India  missions,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Anderson,  senior 
Secretary  of  the  American  Board,  and  the  Rev.  A.  C.  Thompson,  have 
been  enabled,  though  providentially  separated  from  each  other,  to  visit  us 
on  their  way  homeward.  With  devout  thanksgivings  to  God  for  this  timely 
visit  of  his  servants,  we  would  express  our  particular  obligations  to  Dr. 
Anderson  for  his  most  valuable  counsels,  and  for  the  very  essential  aid  he 
has  afforded  us,  in  settling  the  many  important  questions  of  missionary 
policy  brought  before  us  at  this  meeting.  It  is  our  prayer  and  hope  that 
this  visit  of  Dr.  Anderson  may  prove,  wth  God’s  blessing,  highly  useful  as 
a means  of  giving  a new  impulse  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  in  this  land  ; 
and  we  now  commend  our  respected  friend  and  brother  to  the  guidance 
and  protection  of  that  same  kind  Providence  which  has  watched  over  him 
hitherto,  and  which  we  pray  may  long  preserve  him  to  us,  and  to  the  mis- 
sionary work.” 

4.  Messrs.  Schneider,  Pratt  and  Beebee,  at  Aintah , adopted  the  following 
resolution,  viz  : “ That  our  sincere  gratitude  is  due  to  God  for  directing 
hither  the  steps  of  our  esteemed  friend  and  brother,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Anderson, 
senior  Secretary  of  the  American  Board,  and  to  our  brother  himself,  for  all 
the  valuable  and  important  suggestions,  which  he  has  made  to  us  in  our  con- 
tinued conferences,  and  for  all  the  kind  and  fraternal  spirit  which  he  has 
manifested  in  all  his  intercourse  with  us  ; and  that,  in  departing  from  us,  he 
may  have  the  assurance  that  our  prayer  shall  be  for  him,  that  he  may  yet  be 
prospered  in  his  intended  visit  to  our  brethren  of  this  mission  at  Constanti- 
nople, and  in  due  time  be  restored  in  peace  to  his  friends  and  his  accustomed 
labors.” 

5.  The  Conference  of  missionaries  assembled  at  Constantinople , adopted 
the  following  Minute:  “Having  been  permitted  in  divine  Providence  to 
enjoy  a season  of  free  and  fraternal  conference  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  Anderson, 
the  senior  Secretary  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.,  in  regard  to  the  missionary  work 
in  this  land,  we  desire  to  give  expression  to  our  feelings  of  gratitude  to  God, 
who  has  brought  him  to  us  in  safety  after  the  multiplied  labors  and  exposures 
of  his  journey  hitherto,  and  of  satisfaction  at  the  character  and  results  of  our 
interviews  with  him.  We  have  been  permitted  to  confer  with  him  respecting 
the  great  interests  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  and  partially  to  survey  with  him 
the  wants  of  a field  which  the  Lord  hath  blessed.  It  is  gratifying  to  find 
our  matures!  views  so  much  in  harmony  with  those  expressed  by  him  as  the 
result  of  his  own  experience  and  that  of  the  Prudential  Committee.  We 
are  thankful  for  the  valuable  practical  suggestions  which  he  has  given  us. 
We  have  also  been  refreshed  by  social  and  spiritual  converse  with  him;  and 
only  regretted  that  his  associate  in  the  Deputation  to  the  India  missions,  the 
Rev.  Augustus  C.  Thompson,  was  prevented,  by  the  imperative  calls  of  duty 
at  home,  from  visiting  us  in  company  with  him.  And  now  we  heartily  com- 
mend him  to  God,  and  to  the  guidance  and  care  of  his  providence,  and  to 
the  word  of  his  grace.” 


II. 

STATEMENT  OF  THE  CEYLON  MISSION  TO  THE  PEOPLE  OF  JAFFNA. 

The  following  statement  was  made,  by  a committee  of  the  Ceylon 
mission  appointed  for  the  purpose,  to  the  natives  of  Jaffna  and  other  readers 
of  their  semi-monthly  paper  called  the  “Morning  Star,”  after  the  depar- 


65 


ture  of  the  Deputation.  It  will  be  interesting,  as  showing  the  view  of  the 
case,  as  a whole,  which  was  entertained  by  the  mission,  and  which  they  were 
desirous  of  imparting  to  their  native  helpers  and  to  the  educated  portion  of 
the  native  community. 

“ In  the  last  Star,  it  was  intimated  that  some  details  in  reference  to  the 
changes  and  modifications  contemplated  by  the  American  mission  would  be 
mentioned  in  a future  number.  Perhaps  the  publicity  already  given  by  some 
circumstances,  to  the  visit  of  the  Deputation  from  America,  is  a sufficient 
reason  for  so  doing,  though  any  statement  must  necessarily  be  brief. 

‘ It  is  well  known,  that  in  the  operations  of  the  American  mission  consid- 
erable prominence  has  been  given  to  education.  While  the  publication  of 
the  gospel  in  its  simplicity  and  purity,  relying  upon  the  influences  of  the 
Ploly  Spirit  to  make  it  effectual  to  the  salvation  of  souls,  has  ever  been  the 
great  object,  education  has  been  brought  in  as  an  auxiliary.  The  results  of 
this  course  are,  in  many  respects,  very  encouraging.  They  are  such  as 
can  only  be  appreciated  by  actual  acquaintance  with  the  highly  intelligent 
Christian  families  scattered  throughout  our  field,  and  the  well  educated,  and, 
it  is  believed,  truly  devoted  native  assistants  who  are  not  known  to  the  pub- 
lic, from  the  very  fact  that  they  are  quietly  at  work  in  the  villages.  A good 
work  has  also  been  accomplished  in  spreading  a knowledge  of  the  Bible  and 
its  truths  among  the  mass  of  the  population. 

“ There  are,  however,  necessary  evils  connected  with  this  course,  which 
in  some  measure  counteract  the  benefits.  It  is  not  to  be  expected  that  all 
who  receive  a higher  course  of  education  will  be  renewed  by  the  grace  of 
God.  Those  not  thus  renewed,  while  they  have  received  sufficient  knowl- 
edge of  the  truth  to  break  away  from  many  of  the  superstitions  and  restraints 
of  heathenism,  have  not  been  brought  under  the  higher  restraints  of  Chris- 
tianity. As  a natural  consequence,  many  of  them  become  infidel  in  religion 
and  reckless  in  moral  conduct.  ‘ Knowledge  is  power  ’ for  evil,  as  well  as 
for  good ; and  it  is  hazardous  to  place  this  power,  to  any  great  extent,  in  the 
hands  of  a heathen  people,  before  they  are  brought  under  the  controlling 
influence  of  Christian  principle  in  the  heart. 

“ Moreover,  it  is  obvious  that  an  undue  proportion  of  the  people  are  seek- 
ing an  English  education.  Thus  the  natural  order  of  things  in  the  country 
is  disturbed,  and  many  are  removed  from  their  places  in  the  villages  who  are 
(he  very  persons  needed  there  as  witnesses  for  the  truth,  while  engaged  in 
the  ordinary  occupations  of  the  people. 

“ It  is  unnecessary  to  speak  of  the  tendency  of  a system  of  schools,  sup- 
ported by  foreign  aid,  to  lead  even  the  native  Christians  to  depend  upon  that 
aid,  instead  of  supporting  their  own  educational  institutions  ; or  of  the  ten- 
dency of  the  training  of  boarding  schools  to  foster  this  spirit  of  dependence, 
and  render  those  thus  educated  less  able  to  1 endure  hardness  as  good  sol- 
diers of  Jesus  Christ.’ 

“The  evils  above  alluded  to  have  for  some  time  engaged  the  attention  of 
the  missionaries  of  Jaffna,  and  the  question  of  the  necessity  of  some  modi- 
fication of  plans  of  operation  has  been  discussed.  In  the  American  mission 
various  circumstances  have  of  late  seemed  to  combine  to  prepare  the  way 
for  such  a modification,  and  in  connection  with  the  visit  of  the  Deputation 
it  has  been  effected.  The  object  of  the  changes  determined  upon  is — 

“ 1.  To  disencumber  our  work,  as  much  as  possible,  from  all  appliances 
which  may  act  as  a hinderance  or  diversion  from  the  direct  making  known  of 
the  gospel  to  the  heathen,  in  simple  reliance  upon  divine  power  to  make  it 
effectual  for  their  salvation ; and, 

“2.  To  aim  at  the  establishment  of  the  institutions  of  Christianity  in  the 
villages  upon  a natural  and  independent  basis. 

“ Churches  are  to  bo  organized  in  those  villages  where  there  are  a suffi- 
cient number  of  Chiistians,  and  native  pastors  are  to  be  appointed  over  them. 


66 


These  pastors  will  receive  their  support  chiefly  from  the  mission,  till  the 
members  of  the  churches  are  able  gradually  to  assume  it.  The  village 
schools  will  be  confined  principally  to  those  villages  where  there  may  be  a 
nucleus  for  Christian  churches.  They  are  designed  mainly  to  furnish  the 
children  of  the  members  of  these  churches  and  of  the  congregations,  with  a 
thorough  education  in  the  vernacular,  in  all  the  branches  necessary  for  the 
ordinary  duties  of  life.  From  these  schools  a few  of  the  most  promising 
candidates  may  be  selected  to  receive  a higher  education  in  the  Seminary 
and  Female  Boarding  School,  to  prepare  them  for  mission  service.  This 
higher  education  will  be  in  the  vernacular  language,  and  is  designed  to  be 
eminently  biblical. 

“Immediate  attention  will  be  given  to  the  selection  and  preparation  of 
suitable  books  in  Tamil  for  these  schools.  The  Seminary  at  Batticotta  will 
be  suspended  in  September  next,  and  recommenced  on  the  new  basis  as  soon 
as  Providence  directs.  The  Female  Boarding  School  at  Oodooville  is  not  to 
be  suspended,  but  to  be  reduced  in  numbers. 

“ The  printing  establishment  is  to  be  transferred  to  native  hands,  and  to 
aim  at  an  independent  and  self-supporting  basis.  The  Morning  Star,  from 
the  commencement  of  1856,  will  be  printed  only  in  Tamil,  and  efforts  will 
be  made  to  increase  its  value  as  a periodical  among  the  native  population. 

“ In  malting  these  changes  the  mission  do  not  reflect  upon  their  previous 
course,  nor  those  who  still  continue  the  educational  system.  The  present 
state  of  our  field  seemed  to  demand  a change.  There  is  too,  at  the  present 
time,  material  for  organization  and  centralization  in  the  villages,  forming  cen- 
tres of  light  and  influence  amid  the  surrounding  heathen,  and  for  native 
pastors  for  these  churches,  such  as  has  never  been  before,  and  such  as  may 
not  be  again,  if  the  present  occasion  is  not  improved.  This  work  has  already 
been  commenced,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  notice  in  the  last  Star  of  the  forma- 
tion of  a church  and  the  ordination  of  a native  pastor.  Some  other  villages 
are  ready  for  a similar  movement,  and  it  is  hoped  that  ere  long  there  may  be 
many. 

“ It  would  not  be  strange  if  many  do  not  understand  or  appreciate  the 
reason  for  these  changes  ; and  it  is  expected  there  will  be  many  difficulties  in 
effecting  them.  It  may  be  that  at  first  there  will  be  a reaction  in  the  minds 
of  the  native  community,  which  will  seem  highly  disastrous.  However,  the 
changes  are  the  result  of  much  careful  inquiry  and  serious  deliberation,  and 
they  are  made  in  dependence  upon  Him  from  whom  we  receive  our  commis- 
sion as  missionaries  of  the  cross,  hoping  for  his  approval  and  the  gracious 
continuance  of  his  blessing.” 


III. 

REPORT  OF  THE  CEYLON  MISSION  ON  THE  GOVERNING  OBJECT 
IN  MISSIONS  TO  THE  HEATHEN.* 

In  answering  the  question,  “ What  is  the  governing  object  in  missions  to 
the  heathen,”  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  remark,  that  it  is  not  to  relieve 
human  distress,  to  minister  to  the  necessities  of  the  suffering,  to  raise  the 
degraded  and  deliver  the  oppressed.  This  is  a work  which  has  called  into 


* This  and  the  three  following  articles  are.  among-  the  official  documents  from  the  missions, 
mentioned  in  the  Report  of  the  Deputation.  The  Ceylori  report  on  the  governing  object  in  7/iis- 
rions  to  the  heathen , was  written  in  view  of  the  highly  suggestive  experience  of  that  mission. 
That  of  the  Syrian  mission  was  understood  to  have  been  intentionally  supplementary  to  tin* 
other.  The  reports  on  the  Batticotta  Seminary  and  the  Oodooville  Female  Boarding  School  will 
give  more  ample  materials  for  understanding  the  reasons,  which  governed  the  Ceylon  mission  in 
the  recent  modifications  to  which  they  have  been  subjected. 


67 


action  the  noblest  powers,  and  awakened  universal  admiration.  But  the 
work  of  missions  is  of  a higher  character  than  this.  It  looks  beyond  the 
physical  sufferings  aud  necessities  of  man,  and  contemplates  him  as  a sin- 
ner against  a holy  and  just  God,  and  exposed  to  endless  wrath;  and  pro- 
claims to  him  pardon  and  salvation.  It  contemplates  no  less  an  object  than 
raising  him  from  the  awful  gloom  of  the  shadow  of  eternal  death,  to  the 
regions  of  eternal  life  and  joy  in  the  presence  of  a reconciled  God.  This 
is  an  object  which  meets  and  harmonizes  with  the  first  impulses  of  the  new- 
born soul.  Every  one  who  has  tasted  the  joys  of  salvation  feels  a desire, 
that  others  should  come  and  drink  of  the  same  fountain.  To  this  desire  is 
added  the  sense  of  obligation  expressed  by  Paul,  “I  am  debtor  both  to  the 
Greeks  and  to  the  Barbarians,  both  to  the  wise  and  unwise.”  But  it  is  not 
left  to  the  mercy  of  human  desires  and  promptings  of  duty.  It  is  presented 
to  us  with  all  the  authority  of  a command,  emanating  from  the  highest 
source  which  the  redeemed  soul  acknowledges,  given  under  the  most  solemn 
and  impressing  circumstances,  being  the  last  words,  the  final  will  and  testa- 
ment, of  our  glorified  Savior.  By  this  every  redeemed  sinner  is  sent  into  the 
world,  even  as  Christ  was  sent  by  the  Father,  and  is  to  take  upon  himself 
the  burden  of  a dying  world. 

This  great  work,  having  its  centre  in  the  cross  of  Christ,  and  for  its  limits 
the  ends  of  the  earth,  contains  in  it  the  spring  and  principle  of  every  mission 
to  the  heathen.  And  it  is  oidy  as  the  salvation  of  lost  souls  is  kept  distinct- 
ly and  prominently  in  view,  as  the  single,  all-absorbing  object,  that  these 
missions  can  retain  the  life  and  vigor  necessary  to  their  existence  and 
success. 

Though  this  is  the  avowed  object  of  all  who  are  engaged  in  this  great 
work,  yet  there  is  so  much  tendency  to  turn  aside  from  the  simple  terms  of 
the  command,  and  bring  in  other  ends,  and  trust  to  other  means  than  those 
divinely  appointed,  that  it  is  desirable  to  recur  anew  from  time  to  time  to  our 
commission,  and  refresh  our  ininds  with  a review  of  its  scope  and  import.  In 
doing  this  we  may  be  aided  by  noticing  two  or  three  principles  which  are 
fundamental. 

I.  This  work  is  one  evidently  designed  to  make  a large  demand  upon  faith. 

The  soul  of  every  man  is  dark  and  desolate,  but  only  those  who  have 

actually  lived  among  the  heathen  can  have  any  conception  of  the  darkness 
and  desolation  which  reigns  in  their  souls.  It  is  not  merely  that  the  divine 
inhabitant  of  the  soul  is  gone,  and  the  stately  temple  is  in  ruins,  but  the 
prince  of  darkness  has  established  his  throne  upon  those  ruins,  foul  fiends 
lurk  in  every  nook  and  corner,  and  the  very  vapors  of  the  bottomless  pit 
ascend  from  every  altar.  Surely  there  is  no  power  which  can  eject  these 
usurpers,  renew  and  enlighten  this  desolation  and  darkness,  but  that  which 
in  the  beginning  “ spake,  and  it  was  done”  ; which  said,  “Let  there  be  light, 
and  there  was  light.”  And  it  is  only  as  sustained  by  implicit  faith  in  the 
all-sufficiency  of  that  power,  and  in  the  certainty  of  those  rich  promises 
which  make  it  available  to  us,  that  we  can  dare  to  act  as  instruments. 

II.  It  is  a work  designed  to  manifest  the  greatness  and  power  of  God,  and 
the  weakness  of  man. 

A distinguished  astronomer,  while  contemplating  God’s  wonderful  works 
unfolded  by  the  discoveries  of  science,  exclaimed,  “ O Lord,  what  are  we, 
that  we  should  be  permitted  to  walk  in  thy  footsteps  and  think  thy  thoughts 
after  thee  ! ” But  we,  as  Christians,  are  not  only  permitted  to  walk  in  the  foot- 
steps of  the  Almighty  and  think  his  thoughts  after  him,  but  more — we  are 
called  to  be  co-workers,  “ laborers  together  with  God,”  in  his  greatest,  most 
glorious  work.  The  greatness  of  the  work  is  such  an  infinite  distance  above 
our  fitness,  our  capacity,  and  our  comprehension  even,  that  the  very  thought 
of  our  being  employed  as  instruments  overwhelms  us  with  a crushing  sense 


68 


of  our  weakness  and  insufficiency,  and  we  are  compelled  to  exclaim  with  the 
prophet,  “ Ah,  Lord  God,  I cannot  speak,  for  I am  a child.”  And  will  a 
simple  message,  mere  words,  a breath,  uttered  and  gone,  have  any  power  in 
a work  so  great  P Powerless  indeed  are  the  words  of  man  ; but  when  “ the 
Lord  putteth  forth  his  hand,  and  touches  the  mouth  ” of  his  messengers, 
saying,  “ Behold,  I have  put  my  words  in  thy  mouth,”  then  those  fleeting 
words  become  the  “ breath  of  the  Almighty  ; ” they  are  “ spirit  and  life,” 
“ the  sword  of  the  Spirit,”  “ the  power  of  God  unto  salvation ;”  and  we 
become  strong  in  our  weakness,  subdued  by  the  thought  that  the  power  of  the 
Almighty  rests  upon  us.  And  the  whole  work  and  instrumentality  seems  as 
if  arranged  for  this  very  purpose  of  magnifying  the  power  of  God,  and 
humbling  the  pride  of  man,  as  expressed  by  Paul:  “We  have  this  treasure 
in  earthen  vessels,  that  the  excellency  of  the  power  may  be  of  God  and  not 
of  us.”  In  this  respect  it  is  in  harmony  with  all  God’s  dealings  with  man. 

III.  This  work  acknowledges  no  necessity  of  any  auxiliary  means,  or 
preparatory  process. 

Not  only  the  men  of  the  world,  but  often  the  devoted,  self-denying 
missionary,  whose  sole  object  is  the  conversion  of  souls,  is  so  repulsed  by 
the  degradation  and  debasement  of  those  for  whom  he  labors,  and  so  defeated 
in  all  his  efforts  to  get  a hearing  for  the  truth,  in  a mind  pre-occupied  by  all 
that  is  false,  vile  and  blasphemous,  that  he  feels  the  necessity  of  some 
preparatory  work  to  fit  the  mind  for  the  reception  of  the  truth.  This  has 
given  rise  to  the  various  plans  of  education  and  civilization,  which  have 
sometimes  been  brought  forward  with  considerable  prominence.  And  there 
is  an  appearance  of  reasonableness  in  the  plea,  that  the  young  mind  should 
be  pre-occupied  by  the  seeds  of  truth,  and  the  public  mind  elevated  by  dif- 
fusion of  the  light  of  science,  and  the  elevating  and  refining  influences  of 
civilization.  But  whether  we  look  at  the  terms  of  our  commission,  or  to  the 
example  of  Him  who  gave  it  or  of  those  who  first  received  and  acted  upon 
it,  or  at  the  work  as  one  of  faith  and  a work  of  God,  we  find  no  authority 
for  these  auxiliary  means,  or  for  any  preparatory  process.  The  example  of 
our  Savior  is  especially  instructive  on  this  point.  Having,  as  he  did,  all  the 
stores  of  wisdom  and  knowledge  at  command,  he  might  by  a single  sentence 
have  flashed  light  upon  the  hidden  mysteries  of  science,  or  by  a single  sug- 
gestion have  given  a clue  to  some  of  those  wonderful  discoveries  which  have 
such  a tendency  to  arouse  mental  action,  and  which  at  the  same  time  would 
have  given  him  such  a power  and  influence  in  controlling  the  mind  thus  awak- 
ened. But  he  stooped  not  a moment  from  the  higher  work  of  laboring  for 
lost  sinners.  This  was  the  one,  all-absorbing  object,  which  allowed  not  a 
moment’s  diversion. 

The  example  of  the  Apostles  teaches  us  the  same  lesson.  “They  deter- 
mined to  know  nothing  but  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified.”  They  every 
where  preached  “Christ  crucified;  unto  the  Jews  a stumbling-block  and 
unto  the  Greeks  foolishness,  but  unto  them  which  are  called,  both  Jews  and 
Greeks,  the  power  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God.”  They  evidently,  in  all 
their  preaching,  relied  alone  upon  the  influences  of  the  same  Spirit  which  is 
promised  as  freely  to  us  as  to  them. 

Again  the  nature  of  tiie  work,  as  a work  of  faith,  and  a work  of  God, 
leads  to  the  same  result.  We  cannot  for  a moment  defend  the  position,  that 
God  is  at  all  dependent  upon  human  instrumentality,  for  the  salvation  of  the 
world.  He  does  indeed  permit  us,  for  our  own  good,  to  labor  as  instruments 
in  this  great  work,  but  he  could  as  well  do  without  us.  In  this  view  is  it 
not  the  highest  wisdom  to  confine  ourselves  as  near  as  possible  to  the  simple 
terms  of  our  commission,  the  example  of  Him  who  gave  it,  and  the  example 
and  teachings  of  those  inspired  agents  who  first  received  and  acted  upon  it, 
attempting  “ no  other  foundation  than  that  is  laid,  which  is  Christ  Jesus,” 
taking  heed  also  how  we  build  thereupon.  In  this  view  of  the  subject  we 


69 


must  admit  that  it  is  as  easy  for  the  divine  Spirit  to  clear  away  the  rubbish 
of  false  opinions  and  heathen  superstitions,  as  to  renew  the  mind  not  thus 
pre-occupied.  Even  though  these  notions  and  superstitions  may  have  become 
incorporated  in  all  the  habits  of  daily  life,  and  are  a part  and  parcel  of  the  very 
language  of  a people,  we  cannot  limit  the  power  of  the  divine  Spirit.  And 
we  believe  all  will  admit  that  such  views  of  God  and  heaven,  of  sin  and  sal- 
vation, as  the  Spirit  alone  can  give,  are  better  than  any  which  can  be  given 
by  any  preparatory  process  of  teaching,  or  of  acquiring  a language  untainted 
with  those  associations,  and  that  the  effect  of  such  views,  carried  out  in  the 
lives  of  those  who  have  received  these  heaven-born  impressions,  form  a 
better  commentary  for  others.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  not  dependent  upon  such 
means.  “ The  things  of  God  no  man  knoweth  but  the  Spirit  of  God.”  “ God 
hath  revealed  them  unto  us  by  his  Spirit,  for  the  Spirit  searcheth  all  things, 
yea,  the  deep  things  of  God.” 

We  may  avail  ourselves,  in  this  work,  of  all  those  incidental  advantages 
afforded  by  the  tide  of  civilization  following  in  the  wake  of  the  progress  of 
Christianity,  such  as  the  facilities  for  communication,  discoveries  in  science, 
and  the  higher  standard  of  education,  which  are  so  characteristic  of  the 
present  age.  But  we  need  to  be  careful  lest  we  be  turned  aside  from  our 
peculiar  work,  in  becoming  personally  the  agents  in  introducing  them. 

IV.  This  work  not  only  acknowledges  no  necessity  of  any  auxiliary 
means,  or  preparatory  process,  but  is  actually  retarded  by  a resort  to  such 
appliances. 

The  evils,  which  are  the  almost  necessary  consequence  of  this,  need  but 
to  be  briefly  stated  to  be  understood. 

1.  There  is  danger  that  the  means  thus  used  become  in  themselves  an 
end,  and  turn  aside  the  thoughts  and  labors  of  those  engaged  from  the  great 
work  of  the  salvation  of  souls. 

2.  Even  when  these  appliances  keep  their  place  as  simply  a means,  there 
is  danger  of  our  trusting  in  them  to  such  an  extent  as  to  prevent  the  exer- 
cise of  that  faith  in  divine  power  so  necessary  to  the  successful  prosecution 
of  the  work. 

2.  The  introduction  of  these  means  tends  to  turn  the  attention  of  the 
missionary  to  the  elevation  of  the  masses,  by  bringing  them  in  contact  with 
those  elevating  influences,  instead  of  laboring  directly  for  the  conversion  of 
individual  souls.  And  intimately  connected  with  this,  is  the  tendency  to 
limit,  in  effect,  the  power  of  God,  by  putting  off  to  a distant  period  the  sal- 
vation of  these  masses,  instead  of  laboring  in  hope  and  expectation  of 
immediate  results. 

4.  This  course  perverts  the  divine  order  of  things,  by  introducing  prema- 
turely those  things  which  are  the  results  of  Christianity,  and  are  designed 
to  follow  and  be  controlled  by  Christian  principle.  It  has  been  remarked 
that  “ probably  the  reason  why  the  recent  discoveries  in  science  and  art 
were  kept  hidden  so  long,  was  because  the  world  was  not  good  enough  to 
render  it  safe  to  give  such  power  to  man.”  And  it  is  worthy  of  notice,  that 
this  mighty  power  has  come  as  a result  of  the  progress  of  Christianity,  and 
is  directed  and  controlled  by  Christian  principle  acting  upon  the  public  sen- 
timent of  Christian  nations,  to  an  extent  which  cannot  but  lead  us  to 
acknowledge  a design  of  Providence.  If  then  this  power  is  given  to  a 
heathen  people  in  advance  of  the  Christian  principle  necessary  to  control 
and  regulate  it,  we  pervert  the  order  of  nature,  and  set  in  motion  powerful 
influences  which  are  likely  to  work  against  us.  Many  are  thereby  so  far 
elevated  and  enlightened  as  to  break  loose  from  the  superstitions  and 
restraints  of  heathenism,  while  they  are  not  brought  under  the  influence  of 
the  higher  restraints  of  Christian  love  and  Christian  principle,  and  form  a 
class  infidel  in  religion,  and  reckless  in  conduct. 

5.  The  introduction  of  these  things  involves  an  amount  of  machinery, 


70 


which  in  itself  is  an  evil  to  a heathen,  or  infant  Christian  community.  It  is 
an  evil  to  the  heathen,  because  it  turns  aside  their  thoughts  from  the  sim- 
plicity of  the  gospel  of  Christ ; and  while  they  are  liable  to  misunderstand 
the  true  motives  of  the  missionary,  desires  of  gain  and  worldly  profit  are 
awakened  in  their  minds.  The  newly  converted  Christians  are  exposed  to 
a similar  danger.  They  become  naturally  associated  with  the  missionary  as 
agents  in  the  working  of  this  machinery.  Thus  their  natural  relations  to 
the  community  are  disturbed  ; they  become  paid  agents,  in  whose  minds  a 
spirit  of  covetousness  is  awakened,  and  their  influence  as  a witnessing 
church  is  impaired. 

6.  The  use  of  these  auxiliaries  leads  to  the  development,  both  among  mis- 
sionaries and  native  Christians,  of  a worldly  policy,  which  results  in  a 
tendency  to  be  guided  by  motives  of  expediency  instead  of  the  Word  of 
Cod. 

7.  There  is  danger  of  those  who  become  Christians,  becoming  so  from 
conviction  of  the  understanding,  instead  of  genuine  conversion  of  the  heart 
by  the  influences  of  the  Spirit ; and  as  their  “ faith  stands  in  the  wisdom  of 
men  instead  of  the  power  of  God,”  in  time  of  trouble  or  persecution,  they 
fall  away. 

In  view  of  these  evils,  and  others  of  a similar  nature,  which  are  incurred 
by  turning  aside  from  the  great  object  before  us,  we  are  prepared  to  re-as- 
sert,  with  additional  emphasis,  the  proposition  with  which  we  started  ; — that 
it  is  only  as  the  salvation  of  lost  souls  is  kept  distinctly  and  prominently  in 
view  as  the  single,  all-absorbing  object  of  missions  to  the  heathen,  that  they 
can  retain  the  life  and  vigor  necessary  to  their  existence  and  success. 

But  the  work  of  the  missionary  does  not  stop  here ; as  it  pre-supposes  suc- 
cess in  the  conversion  of  sinners,  the  missionary  is  brought  into  a new  rela- 
tion in  connection  with  the  persons  thus  converted.  Now  he  is  to  cany  out 
the  second  part  of  the  command,  “ Teaching  them  to  observe  all  things 
whatsoever  I have  commanded  you.”  He  is  not  to  disturb  unnecessarily 
their  relations  in  society,  and  to  avoid,  as  far  as  possible,  rendering  them 
pecuniary  aid.  Preserving  his  high  character  as  a spiritual  teacher,  he  is  to 
endeavor  to  render  them,  by  his  counsel,  instructions  and  example,  witnesses 
for  the  truth,  and  in  their  turn,  agents  in  this  great  work  among  their  own 
people.  As  the  number  increases,  in  order  that  lie  may  not  be  turned  aside 
from  his  peculiar  work  as  a missionary,  he  is  to  look  out  some  one  from  among 
the  number  who  is  fitted  by  nature  and  grace  to  take  charge  of  the  flock 
thus  gathered,  and  himself  to  go  on  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord,  gathering 
other  flocks,  and  committing  them  to  faithful  shepherds,  to  whom  he  will 
retain,  under  the  great  Shepherd,  the  office  of  counsellor,  teacher,  and 
guide. 

These  we  believe  to  be  the  true  principles  of  missions  to  the  heathen,  as 
taught  by  reason  and  Scripture.  That  they  are  the  principles  upon  which 
the  American  Board  was  founded,  we  have  evidence  in  the  Instructions  of 
the  Prudential  Committee  given  to  the  first  company  sent  out  under  its  aus- 
pices in  1812.  They  say,  “ It  will  be  your  business  to  bring  the  heathen  as 
directly  as  possible  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,”  adding,  “/£  is  the  truth, 
the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  which  is  mighty  through  God  to  the  pulling  down 
of  strong  holds.”  The  Ceylon  mission,  which  was  formed  soon  after,  was 
undoubtedly  founded  upon  the  same  basis.  If  in  its  progress  it  has  in  any 
degree  turned  aside  from  this  singleness  of  purpose,  it  has  been,  we  believe, 
inadvertently,  and  so  far  as  it  has  been  an  error,  it  has  been  an  error  of  the 
times,  and  of  the  general  sentiment  of  the  Christian  community,  rather  than 
any  fault  of  the  individuals  more  immediately  concerned.  Although  we 
have  seen  in  our  field,  to  a greater  or  less  extent,  the  evils  which  have  been 
enumerated,  it  is  a cheering  fact  that  our  course  has  not  been  fatal  to  suc- 
cess. God  has  indeed  blessed  this  mission,  as  precious  remembrances  of  the 
past,  and  present  results  in  themselves  most  cheering,  testify.  lie  always 


71 


blesses  faithful,  prayerful  efforts  for  the  promotion  of  his  cause,  such  as  have 
been  made  here  from  the  beginning.  We  believe,  too,  that  those  who  have 
labored  here,  have  ever  endeavored  to  follow  the  leadings  of  Providence  in 
all  their  plans  and  operations,  and  have  enjoyed  a sense  of  divine  presence 
and  guidance.  Now,  the  “ pillar  of  fire  and  cloud”  seems  to  turn  in  a some- 
what different  direction.  We 'are  led  by  circumstances  to  a review  of  the 
fundamental  principles  of  our  work,  and  a consequent  revision  of  plans.  And 
while  we  prepare  to  follow  in  the  way  in  which  the  Lord  seems  to  be  leading 
us,  we  may  hope  for  a continuance  of  his  presence  and  favor.  The  fact  that 
he  has  a people  here,  is  in  itself  a pledge  that  he  will  not  forsake  us.  And 
we  believe,  too,  that  there  is  hope  for  the  multitude  who  have  become  ac- 
quainted with  Scripture  truth  in  connection  with  our  educational  institu- 
tions ; that  he  will  grant  the  influences  of  his  Spirit  to  bless  the  good  seed 
thus  sown,  and  that  we  may  yet  see  an  abundant  harvest  to  the  glory  of  his 
great  name.  And  have  we  not  encouragement  to  pray  that  God  may,  by  the 
baptism  of  his  Spirit,  fit  many  of  those  who  have  been  the  subjects  of  so  much 
labor,  and  of  so  many  prayers,  to  be  humble,  faithful  leaders  in  the  host  of 
his  elect,  when  he  shall  grant  us  “ the  great  rain  of  his  strength  ? ” 


THE  SYRIAN  MISSION  ON  THE  SAME  SUBJECT. 

(an  EXTRACT. — SUPPLEMENTARY  TO  THE  PRECEDING.) 

Yoor  committee  have  not  time  to  enlarge  on  this  subject,  which  has  been 
so  fully  discussed  in  the  reports  of  the  India  Missions,  on  the  occasion  of 
the  recent  visit  of  the  Deputation  from  the  Prudential  Committee  ; but,  in 
addition  to  the  full  view  of  the  case  presented  in  those  reports,  we  remark 
briefly — 

1.  This  object  is  the  only  one  which  will  secure  the  requisite  number  of 
efficient  laborers. 

In  order  to  bring  even  Christian  men  to  the  point  of  giving  up  the  endear- 
ments of  home  and  country,  to  make  them  willing  to  sever  the  numerous  ties 
which  bind  them  to  all  they  hold  most  dear  on  earth,  and  voluntarily  exile 
themselves  from  the  society  of  those  they  love,  from  civilization,  refinement, 
Christian  privileges,  and  a host  of  other  precious  things,  that  they  may  dwell 
among  and  labor  for  people  of  a strange  tongue,  a perverse  generation,  a de- 
graded nation,  there  must  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  heart  and  conscience 
motives  of  the  highest  and  strongest  kind.  Tell  them  of  the  ignorance  and 
degradation  of  men — they  will  pity  them  ; of  their  oppressions  and  hardships 
— they  will  feel  a sympathy  for  them  ; but  tell  them  of  immortal  souls,  going 
down  to  eternal  death,  with  none  to  show  them  the  way  of  salvation,  and 
they  will  run  to  their  relief.  Having  entered  the  field,  they  will  feel  that 
every  moment  is  precious  ; that  eternal  interests  are  at  stake  ; that  heaven  or 
hell  may  depend  upon  the  issue  of  a single  interview.  And  they  will  be  in 
earnest ; and  earnest  laborers  are  the  only  truly  efficient  ones. 

2.  This  object  is  the  only  one  which  will  keep  the  missionary  in  the  field, 
and  sustain  him  under  his  labors  and  difficulties. 

A spirit  of  mere  benevolence  may  lead  men,  for  a time,  to  labor  for  the 
good  of  others,  and  among  other  things  for  their  conversion.  But  while  hu- 
man nature  remains  the  same,  these  efforts  will  not  be  met  in  the  spirit  of 
meekness  and  docility,- but  with  pride,  perverseness,  opposition,  and  often  in- 
gratitude, if  not  actual  injury.  Here  the  laborer  will  need  to  fall  back  upon 
something  that  lias  power  sufficient  to  make  him  persevere  in  spite  of  these 


72 


difficulties,  as  he  will  be  almost  sure  to  faint,  be  discouraged,  and  perhaps 
withdraw  from  the  field.  Mere  benevolence,  philanthropy,  a desire  to  do 
good  in  general,  to  elevate  and  enlighten,  will  not  do  this,  as  ample  expe- 
rience has  shown.  There  must  be  the  deep  feeling  that  eternal  interests  are 
involved,  that  the  glory  of  God  is  concerned,  that  the  interests  of  the  Re- 
deemer’s kingdom  are  connected  with  the  work.  Keeping  this  object  prom- 
inently before  the  mind,  it  will  be  seen  to  be  paramount ; there  will  be  the 
feeling  that  it  must  be  accomplished  ; that  nothing  must  be  allowed  to  inter- 
fere with  the  work  of  plucking  brands  from  the  burning,  and  adding  jewels 
to  the  Redeemer’s  crown.  It  will  be  seen,  too,  that  this  object  has  the 
promise  of  success  ; that  God  is  pledged  to  accomplish  it ; and  therefore  no 
discouragements  will  be  sufficient  to  cause  its  abandonment. 

3.  This  object  is  the  only  one  which  will  call  forth  from  the  churches  the 
funds  necessary  for  the  support  of  missions. 

Let  the  churches  know  that  their  missionaries  are  teaching  the  sciences, 
dispelling  superstition,  creating  a Christian  literature,  and  they  will  be  glad  ; 
they  will  even  do  much  to  help  forward  the  good  work  ; but  it  will  only  be 
for  a time.  They  will  soon  grow  weary  of  the  repeated  calls  made  upon  their 
benevolence  ; and  should  a season  of  pecuniary  embarrassment  occur,  their 
contributions  will  be  in  danger  of  being  withheld  altogether.  But  keep 
before  them  steadily  and  constantly  and  simply  the  conversion  of  souls,  their 
eternal  salvation,  and  then  you  may  safely  trust  the  churches  of  Christ  for 
any  amount  of  means  that  can  be  wisely  and  judiciously  distributed.  There 
will  be  felt  that  most  powerful  of  all  motives — that  which  must  always  deep- 
ly affect  the  pious  heart — the  salvation  of  the  never-dying  soul.  And  if  the 
churches  supply  the  means  with  this  object  in  view,  then,  in  faithfulness  to 
their  trust,  the  Prudential  Committee  must  make  the  appropriations  of  funds 
with  reference  to  this  object,  and  to  this  alone. 


IV. 

REPORT  ON  THE  OODOOYILLE  FEMALE  BOARDING  SCIIOOI . 

The  Female  Boarding  School  at  Oodooville  was  established  in  1824. 
Previous  to  that  time  a few  girls,  about  sixteen  in  number,  had  been  placed 
under  the  immediate  care  and  instruction  of  the  missionary  ladies  at  Ihr 
different  stations.  Subsequently  the  plan  of  a Central  Boarding  School  was 
adopted.  The  design  in  establishing  such  an  institution  was  to  “impart ’a 
careful  Christian  education  to  a select  number  of  females,  under  circumstan- 
ces that  would  exclude  them  from  heathenish  influences,  and  be  most  hope- 
ful for  their  moral  and  intellectual  improvement.  And  it  was  thought  that, 
by  this  means,  there  would  be  provided  more  suitable  and  acceptable  com- 
panions for  the  young  men  educated  in  the  Mission  Seminar}'.”  The  school 
opened  under  the  superintendence  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Winslow  at  Oodooville, 
with  twenty-nine  pupils,  some  of  whom  had  previously  been  under  instruction 
at  the  several  stations.  In  1825,  on  account  of  the  necessary  absence  of 
Mrs.  Winslow  from  ill  health,  the  school  was  removed  to  Manepy,  where  it 
remained  about  three  years  in  charge  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spaulding.  It  was 
then  removed  back  to  Oodooville,  and  its  superintendence  resumed  by  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Winslow,  under  whose  care  it  remained  until  the  death  of  the 
latter  in  1 833.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spaulding  were  then  called  to  Oodooville  to  take 
the  charge  of  the  institution.  It  has  continued  under  their  superintendence, 


73 


with  the  exception  of  about  three  years  while  they  were  absent  in  America, 
up  to  the  present  time.  Miss  Agnew  became  connected  with  the  school  in 
1840.  Others  for  short  periods  have  assisted  in  the  care  of  the  institution. 

From  the  beginning,  the  pupils  were  admitted  with  the  understanding  that 
they  should  remain,  except  in  cases  of  misconduct,  until  they  were  married. 
They  were  also  to  receive  their  clothing  and  board,  and  when  married,  if 
with  the  approbation  of  the  mission,  £4  I Os.  as  a dowry.  The  prejucice  of 
the  people  against  female  education,  made  it  impossible  to  procure  pupils  on 
any  other  terms  less  objectionable.  In  1848  it  was  determined  to  receive  a 
class  on  the  condition  of  not  bestowing  the  dowry  when  they  should  be  married. 
Notice  was  given  to  this  effect,  and  much  to  the  surprise  of  all,  75  or  80 
applied  for  admission.  Others  would  have  made  application  had  they  received 
timely  notice.  A class  of  twenty-two  was  selected  from  these  applicants. 

In  1850,  in  admitting  another  class,  it  was  thought  advisable  to  limit  the 
period  of  their  residence  in  the  school.  Accordingly  twelve  were  received 
to  remain  for  a term  not  exceeding  six  years.  The  rule  in  regard  to  with- 
holding the  dowry  also  applied  to  them.  Since  that  time  other  classes  have 
been  admitted  on  the  same  terms,  and  no  difficulty  has  been  experienced  in 
obtaining  as  many  pupils  from  respectable  families  as  were  desired. 

In  1852,  a class  was  received,  of  which  a portion  were  required  to  pay  a 
certain  amount  for  board.  The  number  taken  was  thirteen.  Four  were 
received  on  charity.  A part  of  the  remainder  were  required  to  pay  15s., 
and  a part  30s.  annually.  Those  admitted  to  the  school  since  that  time,Jiave 
also  been  required  to  pay  at  the  same  rates.  The  whole  amount  received 
for  board  in  1852,  was  £4  18s.  9ch  ; in  1853,  £7  Os.  9 d. ; and  in  1854, 
£14  5s.  2d.  This  fact  is  a striking  evidence  of  the  progress  of  public  senti- 
ment in  reference  to  female  education. 

The  age  at  which  pupils  have  been  admitted  has  varied  form  six  to  ten 
years.  They  have  been  taken  from  various  castes.  There  have  been  none, 
however,  from  the  lowest  caste,  and  none  from  among  the  Brahmins.  Very 
few  have  been  obtained  from  the  more  wealthy  families  of  the  province. 
The  instruction  has  been  given  principally  by  the  missionary  ladies  at  the 
station,  and  three  native  teachers.  The  whole  number  who  have  been 
connected  with  the  school  is  222,  exclusive  of  the  present  pupils ; nineteen 
of  them  died  while  members  of  the  school. 

Of  the  whole  number  175  became  members  of  the  Christian  church,  10  of 
whom  ultimately  relapsed  into  heathenism  and  two  became  Romanists.  The 


following  table 
pupils. 

exhibits  the  time  of  residence  in 

the 

school,  of  the  former 

1 1 remained 

1 year. 

23  remained 

7 years. 

8 “ 

7 remained  13  years, 

13  “ 

2 years. 

20  “ 

3 

“ 14  “ 

15  “ 

3 “ 

24  “ 

9 “ 

2 

“ 15  “ 

13  “ 

4 “ 

20  « 

10  “ 

2 

« 16  « 

12  “ 

5 “ 

19  “ 

11  “ 

2 

“ 19  “ 

20  “ 

6 “ 

15  “ 

12  “ 

1 

“ unknown. 

Forty-six  pupils  were  compelled,  when  young,  by  their  heathen  friends,  to 
leave  the  school  and  marry  heathen.  A few  left  of  their  own  accord,  four 
or  five  have  been  sent  away  as  unpromising.  Those  who  have  left  the  insti- 
tution are  now  mothers  of  more  than  250  children.  Of  these  children  29 
have  been  educated  or  are  now  pupils  in  the  school,  and  15  have  been  or 
are  now  connected  with  the  Seminary  at  Batticotta. 

The  influence  of  this  boarding  school,  we  need  hardly  say,  has  been  most 
excellent  and  far-reaching.  The  many  Christian  families  scattered  over  the 
province,  the  island  and  the  continent,  exerting  a silent,  but  important  influ- 
ence, testify  to  its  usefulness.  Many  tokens  of  God’s  special  blessing  have 
been  granted,  in  the  frequent  revivals  which  have  been  enjoyed,  and  in  the 


74 


uniform  prosperity  which  has  attended  the  institution.  There  is  no  part  of 
our  missionary  work,  which  we  have  regarded  with  more  pleasure  and  hope 
than  this  school,  and  there  are  no  results  of  our  latfbrs  here,  which  seem  to  us 
to  be  telling,  with  more  power,  at  the  present  moment,  upon  the  evangeliza- 
tion of  the  land,  than  those  connected  with  this  department  of  our  mission. 

The  school  is  now,  as  it  has  been  for  several  years  past,  under  the 
immediate  superintendence  and  instruction  of  the  two  missionary  ladies  at 
the  station,  Mrs.  Spaulding  and  Miss  Agnew,  assisted  by  three  native  male 
teachers.  The  missionary  at  the  station,  Rev.  Mr.  Spaulding,  renders 
important  service  in  general  over-sight,  and  in  the  religious  instruction  and 
pastoral  care  of  the  school. 

There  are  seventy-three  pupils.  The  time  of  their  residence  in  the  school 
severally,  is  as  follows : — one,  has  been  connected  with  the  school  eighteen 
years  ; five,  fifteen  years  ; one,  fourteen  years ; one,  eleven  years  ; two,  ten 
years;  11,  nine  y6ars;  19,  seven  years;  11,  five  years;  11,  three  years; 
four,  two  years  ; six,  one  year ; and  one,  a few  months.  The  one  longest  in 
the  school  has  been  employed  as  an  assistant  in  the  cooking  department. 

Of  this  number  forty-three  are  children  of  Christian  parents  ; twenty-one 
are  members  of  the  church,  of  whom  nine  were  baptized  in  infancy.  The 
number  of  classes  is  six.  The  course  of  study  pursued  is  as  follows : 


In  English. 

6th  Class. 

English  Alphabet. 

English  Instructor,  1 and  2. 

Pictorial  Primer. 

5th  Class. 

Pictorial  Reader, 

Reading  Books,  2 and  3, 

First  Lessons  in  English,  Parts  1st 
and  2d. 


4th  Class. 
Phrase  Book, 

Diglott  Psalms, 
Spelling. 


3d  Class. 

English  Instructor,  2 and  3, 
Parley’s  History, 

Writing. 


2d  Class. 

Childs’  Book  on  the  Soul, 
Gallaudet’s  Natural  Theology, 
Elements  of  Natural  Philosophy, 
Rhenius’  Grammar, 

English  Grammar, 

Writing. 

1st  Class. 

English  Grammar, 

Bible  History, 

Pailey’s  History, 

Writing  Compositions. 


In  Tamil. 

6th  Class. 

Tamil  Instructors,  1,  2 and  3, 
Tamil  Bible, 

Writing  on  Ola. 

5th  Class. 
Genesis  and  Psalms, 

Tamil  Instructor,  4 and  5, 
Tamil  Geography, 

Scripture  History, 

Elements  of  Science, 

Writing. 

4th  Class. 

Indian  Pilgrim, 

Pilgrim’s  Progress, 

Geography,  with  Maps, 
Arithmetic, 

Bible, 

Writing  on  paper. 

3d  Class. 

Doddridge’s  Rise  and  Progress, 
Geography  of  India, 
Arithmetic, 

Elements  of  Grammar, 

Bible. 

2d  Class. 
Arnold’s  Poem, 

Barth’s  Church  History, 
Negundu, 

Arithmetic. 


1st  Class. 
Body  of  Divinity, 
Negundu, 

Arithmetic, 

Physiology. 


75 


& 

The  hours  of  study  for  all  are  from  9 to  12,  a.  m.,  and  one  hour  in  the 
evening.  Two  classes  study,  in  addition,  one  hour  in  the  afternoon.  Most 
of  the  afternoon  is  devoted  to  sewing.  The  time  thus  occupied  varies  from 
one  and  a half  to  two  and  a half  hours.  In  addition  to  this,  it  is  understood, 
many  occupy  much  of  their  leisure  time  in  needle  and  crotchet  work.  There 
are  forty  monitors,  who  have  various  services  to  perform  in  connection  with 
the  school  and  the  missionary  family  at  the  station.  All  the  girls  who  are 
able,  have  some  work  assigned  them  each  day,  in  connection  with  keeping 
their  rooms  and  premises  clean,  in  preparing  for  use  the  rice  and  other  arti- 
cles of  food,  and  in  cooking.  Effort  is  thus  made  to  keep  them  occupied, 
to  give  them  suitable  exercise,  to  teach  them  order  and  neatness,  and  form 
in  them  habits  of  industry  and  trustworthiness. 

As  must  be  expected,  there  are  evils  connected  with  such  an  institution 
in  this  land ; some  of  them  have  in  a good  measure  been  overcome,  while 
others  still  remain.  It  was  necessary,  at  first,  to  offer  such  inducements  as 
would  be  effective  to  lead  parents  to  send  their  children  to  a boarding  school. 
Hence  the  plan  was  adopted  of  giving  them  their  food  and  clothing  while  in 
the  school,  and  a small  dowry  when  married.  The  evil  of  giving  dowry  has 
been  removed  by  the  change  of  feeling  in  the  community,  which  has  enabled 
the  mission  to  discontinue  giving  dowries  to  those  received  since  1848. 

Keeping  the  pupils  in  all  ordinary  cases  until  they  are  married,  has 
resulted  in  prolonging  the  residence  of  many  in  the  school  to  an  undesirable 
length.  Some  have  remained  fifteen  or  sixteen  years,  and  one  even  nineteen 
years.  This  evil  has  in  part  been  remedied  by  limiting  the  course  of  study 
to  six  years. 

The  custom  of  the  country  in  reference  to  young  females  appearing 
abroad,  and  the  confined  premises  of  the  school,  have  made  it  difficult  to 
secure  for  the  pupils  proper  exercise,  and  this,  no  doubt,  has  been  in  some 
cases  a detriment  to  health.  This  evil  has  also,  to  some  extent,  been  reme- 
died by  increasing  the  amount  of  labor,  as  well  as  by  enlarging  their 
premises. 

Other  evils,  more  difficult  to  remedy,  have  arisen  in  connection  with  the 
quality  of  their  food,  which  has  been,  of  necessity,  better  than  most  of  them 
would  receive  at  their  houses. 

In  the  providence  of  God,  we  are  called  upon,  at  the  present  time,  to  look 
at  this  institution  with  a view  to  modifying  it,  and  placing  it,  in  some 
respects,  on  a different  basis.  Hitherto  it  has  been  a part  of  a system  of 
education,  adopted  with  the  design  of  raising  a suitable  native  missionary 
agency,  and  with  the  expectation  that  it  would  prove  one  of  the  best  means 
of  evangelizing  the  land.  This  system  has  been  productive  of  much  good, 
and  has,  in  many  respects,  more  than  answered  the  expectations  entertained; 
but  the  time  for  a change  seems  to  have  arrived.  And  while  with  gratitude 
we  acknowledge  the  goodness  of  God  in  bestowing  the  special  blessing  hith- 
erto upon  this  institution,  thus  making  it  a source  of  blessing  to  others,  we 
desire,  with  humble  dependence  upon  him  for  the  future,  to  follow  the  lead- 
ings of  his  providence  in  respect  to  this,  as  well  as  to  other  departments  of 
our  work. 

The  great  object  of  this  institution  is  to  give  to  a select  number  of  prom- 
ising females,  in  circumstances  favorable  to  moral  and  intellectual  develop- 
ment, an  education  superior  to  that  which  they  can  obtain  in  the  family  or 
Christian  village  schools,  with  the  view  of  their  becoming  the  companions 
of  native  pastors,  catechists,  and  other  missionary  agents. 

With  this  end  in  view,  the  present  number  of  pupils  seems  much  larger 
than  is  demanded,  and  we  think  it  may  with  profit  be  considerably  reduced. 
The  present  number,  as  has  been  stated,  is  73.  Of  these,  21  were  received 
previous  to  1848,  and  have  been  connected  with  the  school  nine  years  and 
upwards.  Your  committee  recommend,  that  the  connection  with  the  school, 
as  pupils,  of  all  these,  cease  at  the  close  of  the  term  in  May,  1856.  This 


76 


reduction,  if  no  vacancies  occur  in  the  lower  classes,  will  leave  fifty-two 
pupils  in  the  school.  The  class  received  in  1848,  consisting,  at  present,  of 
19  members,  should  he  dismissed  at  the  close  of  the  term  in  May,  1857. 
The  term  of  residence  of  the  class  admitted  in  1850,  11  in  number,  accord- 
ing to  the  arrangement  made  when  they  were  received,  expires  in  October, 
1856.  The  number  of  pupils  in  future  should  not,  in  the  judgment  of  your 
committee,  exceed  35,  and  these  generally  should  give  evidence  of  being 
Christians  themselves,  or  should  come  from  the  families  of  church-members 
and  nominal  Christians.  We  are  not  prepared  to  say,  however,  that  none 
should  be  taken,  hereafter,  from  heathen  families.  Cases  may  occur  when, 
in  the  judgment  of  the  mission,  it  may  be  best  to  receive  such,  though  it  is 
believed  that  the  necessity  will  not  often  arise. 

As  to  the  terms  upon  which  the  pupils  should  be  received,  we  are  of  the 
opinion,  that,  so  far  as  possible,  they  should  be  taken  from  the  Christian 
village  schools,  and  that  a certain  amount  of  preparation  in  those  schools, 
to  be  determined  upon  by  the  mission,  should  be  required ; that  they  should 
not  be  received  under  twelve  years  of  age  ; that  their  term  of  residence  in  the 
school  should  not  exceed  five  years;  and  that,  as  the  school  is  to  be  entirely 
select  and  for  a specific  purpose,  no  pay  should  be  required  for  board  from 
those  hereafter  admitted.  In  receiving  new  classes  to  the  school,  it  is  impor- 
tant to  avoid  encouraging  them  to  come  together  in  considerable  numbers 
for  examination,  as  the  greater  part  must  necessarily  be  subjected  to  a 
mortifying  and  painful  disappointment.  And  yet,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is 
important  to  secure  the  effect  on  the  village  female  schools,  of  cherishing  a 
desire  for  the  advantages  of  the  boarding  school  among  parents  and  their 
daughters.  To  secure  both  these  objects,  if  possible,  the  appointment  of  a 
committee  is  recommended,  which  shall  be  especially  instructed  to  look  for 
suitable  pupils,  and  shall  have  the  whole  charge  of  selecting  them  for  the 
several  classes.  In  making  the  selection,  reference  should  not  be  had  to 
locality,  rank,  or  pecuniary  circumstances,  so  much  as  to  the  character  and 
promise  of  the  applicants. 

Your  committee  are  further  of  the  opinion,  that  it  is  not  expedient  to 
continue  the  study  of  English;  but  the  instruction,  hereafter,  should  be 
entirely  in  Tamil.  The  course  of  study  will  be  affected  somewhat  by  the 
amount  of  preparation  required  for  admission.  It  should  be  eminently 
Christian  and  practical,  such  as  will  best  fit  them  to  be  useful  in  the  position 
they  are  to  occupy. 

There  should  be  one  married  missionary  at  the  station,  to  take  the  general 
oversight  of  the  institution  ; and  an  unmarried  lady,  who  should  acquire  the 
native  language  sufficiently  well  to  communicate  instruction  herself,  and 
take  the  direction  of  the  female  native  teacher  who  may  be  employed.  The 
wife  of  the  missionary  at  the  station,  it  is  expected,  will,  so  far  as  she  is 
able,  assist  in  the  management  of  the  domestic  affairs  of  the  school,  and  in 
giving  instruction.  It  is  desirable,  on  some  accounts,  that  whpn  the  reduc- 
tion of  pupils  is  completed,  all  the  native  teachers  should  be  females ; but, 
for  the  present  at  least,  it  seems  important  that  one  or  more  of  the  male 
teachers  should  be  retained  ; with  the  understanding  that  hereafter,  should 
it  be  deemed  advisable  by  the  mission,  the  instruction  may  be  given  alto- 
gether into  the  hands  of  females. 

In  regard  to  the  internal  arrangements  of  the  school,  it  is  important  that 
strict  rules  be  enforced  in  reference  to  visitors ; guarding  against  its  becom- 
ing a refuge  for  the  poor  and  orphans,  or  a retreat  for  invalids.  Long  visits 
from  former  pupils,  or  from  friends  of  the  pupils  should  in  all  casft  be  dis- 
couraged. 

Particular  attention  should  be  given  to  providing  suitable  exercise,  at 
regular  times,  for  the  pupils.  They  are  taken  at  an  age  when  they  require 
much  exercise  ; but,  confined  as  they  are  within  their  premises,  they  are  in 
danger  of  neglecting  it.  They  will  be  able  to  continue  to  do  most  of  the 


77 


work  necessary  to  keeping  their  rooms  and  premises  in  order ; and  perhaps 
all  the  work  connected  with  the  preparation  of  their  food,  under  the  direction 
of  a single  cook.  It  may  be  expedient  to  put  some  restrictions  upon  needle 
and  crotchet  work,  out  of  the  hours  devoted  to  this  purpose,  as  a taste  for 
that  kind  of  work,  or  a desire  for  gain,  may  sometimes  lead  to  too  close  con- 
finement, at  the  expense  of  health. 

Your  committee  would  suggest,  in  reference  to  the  future,  whether  the 
system  of  monitorships,  now  existing,  should  not  be  modified,  so  that  more 
responsibility  shall  be  thrown  upon  individuals,  and  a smaller  proportion  of 
the  whole  number  be  paid  for  their  services  from  the  allowance  for  the 
school.  The  design  of  these  offices  is  simply  to  secure  order  and  efficiency, 
and  they  should  not  be  unnecessarily  multiplied. 

In  conclusion,  your  committee  would  express  the  hope,  that  this  school, 
on  its  new  basis,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  may  still  prove  to  be  an  impor- 
tant auxiliary  in  the  great  work  of  planting  the  institutions  of  the  gospel  in 
this  land.  We  commend  it  to  the  prayers  of  all  who  are  interested  in  the 
cause  of  missions  to  the  heathen. 


Y. 

REPORT  ON  THE  BATTICOTTA  SEMINARY. 

The  Batticotta  Seminary  was  established  in  the  year  1823.  Previous  to 
that  time,  boarding  schools  for  boys  had  been  sustained  at  most  of  the  mis- 
sion stations,  and  the  Seminary  was  composed  of  the  most  advanced  and 
promising  boys  in  those  schools. 

The  main  design  of  the  mission,  in  establishing  this  institution,  was  to 
raise  up  efficient  laborers  to  aid  in  the  work  of  .evangelizing  this  people. 
Subsequently  it  was  enlarged,  with  the  hope  that  it  might  furnish  suitable 
men  to  aid  in  extending  missionary  operations  on  the  neighboring  continent. 
By  a reference  to  some  of  the  early  reports,  it  appears  that  the  mission  had 
in  view  also  the  general  elevation  of  the  people  and  the  raising  of  the  stand- 
ard of  education  in  the  country.  There  are  also  some  expressions  which 
indicate  that  the  fitting  of  men  to  act  as  efficient  officers  of  government  was 
among  the  minor  considerations  which  influenced  the  mission  to  carry  on 
and  enlarge  their  operations  in  this  department. 

For  the  carrying  out  of  this  design,  it  has  been  a prominent  object  from 
the  first  to  give  the  pupils  a thorough  knowledge  of  the  English  language, 
and  thus  furnish  them  a key  to  western  sciences  and  literature,  and  relieve 
them  from  the  bondage  of  Hindoo  superstitions  founded  on  false  science. 

I.  The  History  of  the  Seminary  divides  itself  into  four  periods. 

First  Period. — The  Rev.  D.  Poor  was  Principal  of  the  Seminary  from  its 
commencement  until  183(5,  a period  of  thirteen  years.  During  that  time  the 
native  practice  of  studying  aloud  in  school  was  continued.  The  proportion 
of  studies  in  the  Tamil  language,  compared  with  the  English  was  greater 
than  in  late  years,  and  the  desire  for  mathematical  and  astronomical  studies 
was  much  more  developed.  Great  efforts  were  made  by  the  Principal  to 
bring  this  knowledge  to  bear  upon  the  false  systems  of  the  country.  Being 
able  to  use  the  native  language,  his  instructions,  especially  those  of  a relig- 
ious nature,  were  given  mostly  in  that  language. 

In  the  latter  part  of  this  period,  special  efforts  were  made  to  bring  to  light 
the  hidden  mysteries  of  Hindoo  sciences,  and  expose  their  fallacy.  High 
* 


78 


hopes  were  entertained  that  the  triumphs  of  European  science,  in  showing 
the  inaccuracies  of  the  Hindoo  system,  had  done  much  for  the  overthrow  of 
error,  and  the  establishment  of  the  truth  of  Christianity.  This  led  to  a 
more  vigorous  prosecution  of  the  plan  which  had  been  adopted,  and  the 
desire  for  education  in  the  English  language  and  western  sciences  gradually 
increased. 

It  should  be  remarked  that  during  Mr.  Poor’s  connection  with  the  institu- 
tion, great  prominence  was  given  to  religious  instruction  in  the  vernacular, 
and  the  numbers  hopefully  converted  and  gathered  into  the  church  was 
greater  than  during  any  other  period,  of  equal  length,  in  the  history  of  the 
mission.  In  this  period  the  number  of  pupils  increased  from  48  to  about 
150.  From  1833  Dr.  Ward  aided  the  Principal  in  the  department  of  instruc- 
tion. Mr.  Eckard  also  rendered  assistance  for  a short  time. 

Second  Period. — In  1836,  Rev.  H.  R.  Hoisington  became  Principal,  and 
continued  at  his  post  until  1841,  when  he  was  obliged  to  return  to  America, 
on  account  of  failure  of  health.  During  this  period  of  five  years,  the  insti- 
tution received  a new  impulse,  and  the  native  practice  of  studying  audibly 
gave  place  to  a less  objectionable  method.  Dr.  Ward  continued  to  aid  in  the 
department  of  instruction.  The  Principal  devoted  much  time  to  the  study 
of  the  high  works  on  Hindoo  science,  and  labored  zealously  to  fit  the  teach- 
ers under  his  care  to  be  efficient  in  their  several  departments,  without  neg- 
lecting the  religious  and  moral  training  of  the  pupils.  While  great  efforts 
wrere  made,  on  the  part  of  the  Principal,  to  give  a prominence  to  the  Bible 
and  instructions  drawn  therefrom,  and  to  bring  all  their  acquisitions  in 
science  to  bear  upon  the  same  points,  the  desire  for  scientific  knowledge, 
which  was  increasingly  manifest  in  the  previous  period,  was  more  and  more 
clearly  developed. 

In  1840,  the  Rev.  E.  Cope  was  associated  with  Mr.  Hoisington  in  the  care 
and  instruction  of  the  Seminary.  Up  to  that  time,  all  the  expenses  of  the 
students  had  been  borne  by  the  mission,  even  to  furnishing  them  with  cloths 
and  paying  for  their  washing. 

Third  Period. — Mr.  Ploisington  left  the  institution  in  charge  of  Dr.  Ward 
and  Mr.  Cope.  In  1842,  Rev.  R.  Wyman  became  associated  with  them,  and 
remained  two  years.  Mr.  Hoisington  returned  at  the  close  of  1844,  and 
resumed  his  position  as  Principal  of  the  Seminary.  He  continued  in  this 
position  until  1849,  when  he  was  obliged  to  leave  the  country  on  account  of 
failure  of  health.  Mr.  Cope  was  absent  from  ill  health  one  and  a half  years, 
and  resigned  in  1847. 

Rev.  S.  G.  Whittelsey  was  connected  with  the  institution  about  one  year, 
but  was  at  his  post  only  six  months. 

While  Mr.  Hoisington  was  absent,  the  scientific  department  did  not  re- 
ceive so  marked  attention  from  the  instructors,  yet  the  same  general  course 
was  pursued.  Those  in  charge  were  not  able  to  communicate  with  the  stu- 
dents to  any  great  extent,  except  in  the  English  language. 

In  1843,  there  were  disclosures  of  immoral  practices  among  the  students, 
in  which  one,  at  least,  of  the  teachers  was  somewhat  implicated.  This 
resulted  in  the  dismission  of  a large  number  of  the  students  from  the  dif- 
ferent classes,  and  all  of  a select  class  which  had  been  formed  with  the 
design  of  giving  its  members  a course  of  instruction  in  theology  and  such 
studies  as  would  fit  them  for  catechists  and  preachers. 

This,  for  a time,  seriously  affected  the  prospect  of  the  institution,  and 
greatly  impaired  the  confidence  of  the  mission  in  the  moral  and  Christian 
character  of  those  students  who  professed  to  be  Christians,  and  cast  some 
shades  of  doubt  even  upon  those  who  were  not  implicated  in  the  evil  prac- 
tices. The  first  effect  of  this  gradually  disappeared,  and  confidence  was,  in 
a measure,  restored. 

On  Mr.  Hoisington’s  return  in  1844,  he  brought  with  him  some  valuable 


79 


apparatus  for  the  scientific  department,  and  commenced  anew  his  efforts  to 
raise  the  scientific  character  of  the  institution,  while  he  was  equally  zealous 
to  have  the  biblical  department  well  manned,  and  that  prominence  given  to 
thorough  training  in  the  Bible  whicli  its  importance  demanded.  The  result 
of  this  was  the  modification  of  the  previous  plan,  and  the  formation  of  three 
departments  of  instruction,  viz : Scientific,  Biblical,  and  English,  and  the 
appointment  of  Mr.  Whittelsey  in  the  biblical  department,  who,  it  was  hoped, 
from  his  knowledge  of  the  vernacular,  would  be  able  to  give  greater  prom- 
inence to  biblical  instruction,  and  create  an  enthusiasm  in  that  direction 
which  would  check  the  tendencies  in  favor  of  English  and  science.  These 
fond  hopes  were  disappointed  in  the  early  removal  of  Mr.  Whittelsey  by 
death.  Others  who  were  connected  with  the  institution,  during  that  period, 
did  what  they  could  to  bring  the  truth  to  bear  upon  the  minds  and  hearts  of 
the  students ; and  by  the  blessing  of  God  their  labors  were  not  in  vain. 
There  were  several  seasons  of  religious  interest  in  the  institution  during 
the  three  periods  above  mentioned,  and  a goodly  number  were  gathered  into 
the  church. 

At  the  close  of  the  first  period,  the  number  of  pupils  had  increased  to 
about  150.  From  that  time  onward  to  1845,  the  number  varied  from  150  to 
100.  At  the  close  of  the  third  period,  it  was  reduced  to  about  100.  At  the 
commencement  of  the  fourth  period,  Rev.  E.  P.  Hastings,  who  had  been  pre- 
viously associated  with  Mr.  Hoisington  two  years  in  the  care  and  instruction 
of  the  Seminary,  was  appointed  Principal,  and  Rev.  C.  T.  Mills  was  associ- 
ated with  him.  In  February,  1850,  Mr.  Hastings  resigned,  and  Mr.  Mills 
was  appointed  Principal,  who  continued  in  office  until  he  left  the  mission  in 
1853. 

Mr.  Hastings,  the  present  Principal,  wras  re-appointed  on  his  return  from 
America.  During  the  past  five  years,  there  has  been  only  one  missionary 
connected  with  the  Seminary,  with  the  exception  of  eight  months  ; and  his 
labors,  so  far  as  he  has  been  able  to  give  instruction,  have  been  devoted  to 
the  biblical  department,  mainly  in  the  English  language ; and  special  efforts 
have  been  made  to  raise  the  standard  of  scholarship. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  third  period,  the  practice  of  furnishing  cloths  to 
the  pupils  was  discontinued.  Soon  after,  the  parents  of  the  boys  were  re- 
quired to  give  bonds  for  the  payment  of  board. 

A few  years  later,  those  who  were  able  were  required  to  pay  for  board, 
one  term  in  advance,  at  the  rate  of  four  shillings  and  six  pence  per  month. 
Some  were  received  at  half  that  price,  and  about  one-fourth  of  the  whole 
number  received  were  admitted  on  charity.  Even  on  these  conditions,  the 
applicants  have  been  double  the  number  which  could  be  admitted.  This 
practice  has  continued  to  the  present  time ; and  within  a few  years,  an  initi- 
ation fee  of  ten  shillings  has  been  required  to  meet  the  expense  of  books. 
The  amount  received  for  board  and  initiation  fees  in  1854  was  £150. 

The  result  of  this  practice  has  been  to  introduce  a class  of  students  from 
wealthy  families,  whose  main  object  is  to  get  an  education  to  fit  themselves 
for  government  service ; many  of  whom  are  not  only  of  no  benefit  to  us  in  a 
missionary  point  of  view,  but  are  often  a hinderance  to  the  work.  From  this 
and  other  causes,  the  number  of  pious  students  in  the  Seminary  is  compar- 
atively much  smaller  than  in  former  times.  There  is,  however,  a redeeming 
feature  to  this  pay  system,  viz : there  is  more  room  for  the  development  of  an 
independent  character,  and  fewer  temptations  to  a servile  spirit.  If  one  of 
that  class  is  really  brought  to  bow  to  the  convictions  of  truth,  he  is  usually 
a more  decided  and  consistent  Christian. 

The  institution  has  been  in  operation  thirty-one  years,  and  has  cost  the 
Board  about  £20,000,  including  the  salaries  of  the  missionaries  who  have 
been  connected  with  it.  Besides  this,  about  £1,100  were  collected  in  Cey- 
lon and  India,  for  buildings  and  apparatus.  VVe  might  add  also  some  dona- 
tions of  apparatus  from  America,  not  reckoned  in  the  above  account. 


80 


II.  Present  State. — The  present  state  of  the  institution,  if  we  look  at  it  in 
view  of  some  of  the  objects  for  which  it  was  founded,  is  very  encouraging. 
There  is  a corps  of  able  and  well  qualified  native  teachers,  fitted  to  give 
instruction  in  all  important  branches ; and  the  attainments  of  those  under 
their  charge  are  such  as  in  many  cases  to  do  honor  both  to  the  teachers  and 
pupils.  It  has  attained  a commanding  influence  in  the  community,  as  a lit- 
erary and  scientific  institution,  and  is  a stepping-stone  by  which  many  have 
been  able,  at  a cheap  rate,  to  rise  to  posts  of  influence  and  emolument.  The 
mission,  through  the  influence  of  the  Seminary,  has  had  the  control  of  edu- 
cation in  the  province  for  many  years.  Some  have  regarded  this  as  a reason 
why  the  institution  should  be  sustained,  lest  the  power  of  educating  this 
people  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  heathen,  or  others  opposed  to  the 
pure  principles  of  the  gospel. 

Were  our  object  to  educate  the  community,  we  should  regard  our  position 
in  this  respect  as  very  encouraging.  Viewed  as  a missionary  Seminary,  its 
present  state  is  not  so  encouraging.  The  whole  number  of  students  is  96; 
of  these,  1 1 only  are  members  of  the  Christian  church.  Many  of  the  older 
pupils  are  of  that  class  who  are  looking  mainly  to  government  for  employ- 
ment, and  seem  determined  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  Christianity.  There 
is,  however,  a redeeming  feature  in  the  fact  that  many  in  the  lower  classes 
are  children  of  church  members,  who  will,  we  trust,  be  found  on  the  right 
side,  if  not  exposed  to  too  great  temptations  by  being  thrown  in  contact  with 
evil  influences.  In  the  last  class  of  30,  admitted  in  1854,  15  were  from 
Christian  families.  In  the  class  which  graduated  in  September,  1854,  there 
were  six  church  members ; and  of  the  96,  above  named,  30  were  admitted  in 
October,  1854. 

III.  The  Results. — The  whole  number  who  have  sustained  membership 
is  ............  670 

The  whole  number  of  students  now  living,  who  have  been  educated,  is.  454 
Of  these,  there  are  in  mission  service  . . . . . . .112 

Of  whom  there  are  employed  by  the  American  Ceylon  mission  . .81 

The  number  in  service  of  government  in  Ceylon  and  India  . . . 158 

The  number  in  different  kinds  of  business  in  Ceylon  and  on  the  Con- 
tinent   .111 

Those  whose  employment  is  unknown,  or  who  are  not  known  to  be  em- 
ployed in  any  useful  business 73 

The  whole  number  of  church  members  .......  352 

Number  excommunicated  .........  92 

Whole  number  who  have  died,  [8  of  whom  after  excommunication,]  . 72 

Present,  number  connected  with  Protestant  churches  ....  196 

The  number  now  connected  with  the  American  mission  churches  . . 185 

The  institution  has  raised  up  a class  of  native  assistants  who  have  greatly 
aided  the  mission  in  carrying  on  their  work,  and  who  will,  we  trust,  be  of 
still  greater  service  as  preachers  and  pastors  in  different  parts  of  the  field. 
Many  of  them  are  the  fruits  of  the  revivals  to  which  allusion  has  been  made, 
and  are,  indeed,  the  most  promising  fruit  of  the  institution. 

There  are  also  some  among  those  who  are  not  connected  with  us,  but  are 
engaged  in  government  and  other  service,  who,  we  hope,  arc  Christians,  and 
honor  their  profession  by  a humble  and  consistent  life. 

Aside  from  the  above  results,  the  Seminary  has  exerted  an  influence  in 
the  land  which  cannot  be  mistaken,  in  waking  up  the  native  mind,  in  diffus- 
ing useful  knowledge,  and  creating  a power,  which,  if  directed  into  the  right 
channel,  will  do  much  for  the  elevation  of  this  people.  There  is  a class  in 
the  community  who  have,  in  a measure,  been  freed  from  the  bondage  of 
superstition,  whose  views  have  been  liberalized  by  science,  and  who  may  do 
much  for  the  improvement  of  their  countrymen.  Though  the  Seminary  has 


81 


failed,  in  some  respects,  to  accomplish  all  its  frierds  hoped  for,  it  has  done  a 
great  work  in  its  day,  which  will  yet,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  turn  to  good 
account  in  the  establishment  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  in  Ceylon. 

IV.  Tendencies  of  the  System. — The  preceding  history  has,  to  some  extent, 
presented  the  tendencies  of  the  system  which  has  been  pursued. 

(1.)  It  has  tended  to  give  a prominence  to  instruction  in  the  English  lan- 
guage and  the  sciences,  which  has  led  many  of  the  students  to  neglect  their 
own  language.  Though  great  efforts  have  been  made,  on  the  part  of  the 
missionaries  in  charge,  to  give  special  prominence  to  biblical  instructions  in 
the  vernacular,  and  bring  in  science  to  illustrate  and  impress  the  truth,  the 
current  in  favor  of  English  and  the  sciences  has  steadily  advanced  with 
little  interruption. 

(2.)  It  has  also  tended  to  draw  the  most  promising  pupils  from  the  village 
English  schools,  and  unfit  them  in  some  respects  to  return  and  obtain  a live- 
lihood among  their  own  people.  By  their  education  they  are  so  much  eleva- 
ted above  the  mass,  that  they  feel  unable  to  live  on  the  income  they  would 
receive  in  the  ordinary  occupations  of  the  country,  become  discontented, 
and  seek  employment  in  other  places.  Many  facts  might  be  adduced  to 
show  that  efforts  to  evangelize  a people  through  a foreign  tongue  have  not 
proved  successful. 

(3.)  A class  of  men  has  been  raised  up,  who,  though  well  educated,  and, 
in  some  respects,  well  qualified  for  service  among  the  people,  are  not  in  the 
best  manner  fitted  by  their  course  of  training  for  that  kind  of  humble  and 
persevering  labor,  which  is  most  needed  in  making  known  the  gospel,  and 
giving  it  a footing  permanently,  in  the  villages,  on  a self-sustaining  basis. 

(4.)  There  is  also  a tendency  to  give  prominence  to  other  objects  than  the 
one  which  the  missionary  should  always  keep  in  view,  viz  : the  preaching  of 
Christ,  and  him  crucified,  to  the  people  in  their  own  language. 

(5.)  Those  missionaries  connected  with  the  institution  have  been  hindered 
in  the  acquisition  of  the  colloquial  language  of  the  country.  They  have  not 
been  compelled  by  circumstances  to  speak  in  Tamil,  and  the  temptation  to 
use  their  own  mother  tongue  has  too  often  prevailed.  The  same  may  be 
true,  to  some  extent,  of  other  missionaries,  who  have  catechists  under  their 
care  that  can  speak  the  English  language. 

V.  Change  proposed. — Such  having  been  the  tendencies  of  the  system,  as 
appears  from  the  preceding  history,  we  are  prepared  for  a change.  It  should 
not  be  a partial  one.  That  would  not  cure  the  evil. 

Our  object  in  sustaining  a Seminary  is  not  to  educate  the  community  at 
large.  That  we  do  not  regard  as  the  appropriate  work  of  missionaries.  Nor 
is  it  our  object  to  give  superior  education  to  all  the  children  of  native  Chris- 
tians. The  village  schools  are  to  be  established  for  the  children  of  Chris- 
tians, where  they  are  to  be  instructed  in  their  own  language  ; and  most  of 
them  must  there  complete  their  education. 

But  our  object  is  to  prepare  a class  of  young  men  to  be  Christian  teachers, 
catechists,  and  pastors,  in  every  village  in  the  land,  to  which  they  can  gain 
access — such  men  as  can  live  on  humble  means,  and  will  be  earnest  in  their 
efforts  to  save  souls.  This  being  our  object,  we  think  the  study  of  English 
may  be  a hinderance,  rather  than  a benefit,  and  are  prepared  to  recommend, 

(1  ) That  no  instruction  in  the  English  language  be  given  in  the  regular 
course. 

(2.)  That  the  number  of  students  be  reduced,  as  we  aim  to  educate  only 
for  mission  service  in  our  own  field.  At  the  close  of  the  present  Seminary 
year,  we  propose  that  a number  not  exceeding  twenty-five  be  selected  from 
the  present  students,  taking  only  those  who,  from  their  connections,  attain- 
ments, and  character,  give  most  promise  of  usefulness  in  the  missionary 


82 


work.  The  pecuniary  demands  of  those  who  have  paid  in  advance  for  books, 
should  be  adjusted  to  their  satisfaction  when  requested  to  leave. 

As  the  institution  is  to  be  solely  for  mission  purposes,  and  the  students 
eminently  select,  it  is  thought  to  be  unadvisable  to  require  pay  for  board,  or 
books,  in  order  that  we  may  keep  it  completely  under  our  control,  and  avoid 
the  temptation  to  admit  those  who  can  pay  when  they  are  not  such  as  we 
wish  to  educate. 

(3.)  That  the  course  of  instruction  be  only  four  years.  A class  to  be 
received  annually.  It  is  further  recommended,  that  a course  of  preparation 
in  the  village  schools  be  required,  and  that  none  be  admitted  under  the  age 
of  fourteen ; and  that  they  be  Christians,  or  from  Christian  families.  Only 
those  who  bid  fair  to  be  useful  in  mission  service  should  enjoy  the  privileges 
of  the  institution.  A committee  should  make  the  selections,  avoiding  as 
much  as  possible  applications  from  the  people,  and  should  report  the  same  to 
the  mission  for  approval. 

(4.)  That  one  missionary  be  devoted  to  the  Seminary,  aided  by  two  native 
teachers. 

(5.)  The  course  of  study,  being  wholly  in  the  vernacular,  should  be  em- 
inently biblical,  such  as  will,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  prepare  the  pupils  to 
wield  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God.  Sacred  history, 
geography  and  science  should  be  brought  in  to  aid  in  this  work,  and  all 
should  eentre  in  the  Bible,  and  be  made  to  explain  its  truths. 


CONTENTS. 


Why  the  Report  is  made  directly  to  the  Board,  ....  3 

Acknowledgment  of  the  divine  goodness,  ....  4 

I.  Sending  of  the  Deputation,  .....  4 

Instructions  from  the  Prudential  Committee,  ...  5 

Concession  made  to  the  Bombay  mission,  ....  8 

Opinions  on  mission  schools,  .....  9 

Travels  regulated  by  the  seasons,  . . . . . 10 

II.  Letters  received  from  Dr.  Poor,  .....  12 

III.  Intercourse  with  the  missions,  .....  15 

IY.  Proceedings  in  the  Ceylon  mission,  ....  17 

Visits  to  the  stations,  ......  17 

Meeting  of  Batticotta  graduates,  .....  17 

Subjects  discussed  at  the  general  meeting,  ...  18 

Committees  to  report  on  these  subjects,  ....  22 

Course  of  the  discussion,  ......  22 

Relations  between  the  Deputation  and  the  Mission,  . . 23 

Y.  Reports  and  Letters,  . . . . . , 25 

V I.  General  view  of  the  changes  described  in  the  reports  of  the  missions,  26 
Great  cities  and  rural  districts,  .....  26 

Nature  of  the  field,  ......  26 

Aim  of  the  Deputation,  ......  27 

The  changes  similar  in  each  of  the  missions,  ...  27 

In  respect  to  schools,  ......  27 

In  respect  to  centralization  in  missions,  ....  28 

In  the  Madura  mission,  ......  30 

In  the  Ahmednuggur  mission,  .....  32 

In  the  Bombay  mission,  ......  33 

In  the  Ceylon  mission,  ......  35 

Batticotta  Seminary,  ......  38 

Oodooville  Female  Boarding  School,  ....  39 

Expenditure  for  education  in  Jaffna,  ....  40 

All  a preparation  for  gathering  village  churches,  ...  41 

Mainly  a preparation,  . . . , . , 41 

The  station  congregations  and  churches,  ....  42 

V II.  Madras  and  Arcot  missions,  . . . . . 43 

Y 1 1 1.  The  English  language,  . . . . . . 44 

IX.  Caste,  ........  47 

X.  Polygamy,  ........  48 


84 


X I.  Financial  concerns,  ......  49 

XII.  Official  sanction  given  to  proceedings  of  the  missions,  . . 50 

X I I I.  Relation  of  missionaries  to  native  pastors  and  churches,  . . 53 

XIV.  Conclusion,  .......  56 

APrENDIX. 

On  the  visit  of  the  Deputation,  ......  63 

Statement  of  the  Ceylon  mission  to  the  people  of  Jaffna,  . . 64 

Report  of  the  Ceylon  mission  on  the  governing  object  in  missions  to 

the  heathen,  .......  66 

Report  of  the  Syrian  mission  on  the  same  subject,  . . . 71 

Report  on  the  Oodooville  Female  Boarding  School,  . . . 72 

Report  on  the  Batticotta  Seminary,  .....  77 


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